


BOOK 5: THE WEDDING GUEST'S MARRIAGE (note: unfinished (1/21); in process)

by Mariahtessjojasper



Category: For Samira and Jay, The Wedding Guest (2018)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2020-02-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:55:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 23
Words: 27,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21987022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mariahtessjojasper/pseuds/Mariahtessjojasper
Summary: 23/22/1/0 Note: Working on 1st complete draft.    Samira is pregnant. She and Jay go to visit Gale in San Francisco.   Jay has to return for an exfil.  She sight-sees and looks at houses.  Begins to warm up to the possibility of moving to San Francisco with Jay for the new Global office. She boards a commercial plane to fly back to London and the plane is hijacked and held on the tarmac in San Francisco.  Samira manages to text Jay just before the hijackers take her phone.  Terry, Jay and Sammy and Hassan fly in on Terry's jet.  The hijackers offer to release Samira because she is Muslim and pregnant.  She refuses to leave the plane until the hijackers release all the mothers and their children. Gale, Jay and Terry are frustrated with Samira and with the American response to the hijacking. The five have to find a way to coordinate with the Americans and free Samira.
Kudos: 1





	1. Seasick in a Gondola

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Samira and Jay](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Samira+and+Jay).



Samira and Jay are in a gondola. Jay seated. Samira in front of him, leaning back on him: I've always wanted to be in Venice.  
Jay: And now you are.  
Samira: This boat - it's making me a little seasick though.  
Samira: Maybe he could slow down a little.  
Jay: Time is money for the Gondoliers. We could rent him for the day and he would go any speed we liked I imagine. Do you want to do that?  
Samira: No.  
Samira: Do we have to leave tomorrow?  
Jay: Probably the day after. I have a job.  
Samira: Where?  
Jay: Can't tell you.  
Samira: I'm your wife now. You can tell me.  
Jay kisses her: No.  
She scowls.  
Samira: How long?  
Jay: 10 days - maybe less.  
Samira: Sammy will tell me.  
Jay: He's going. He won't tell you and he won't tell Amelia. Them's the rules sweetheart.  
Samira: Is it Iran?  
Jay: No  
Samira: Is it Kurds?  
Jay: Maybe.  
Jay: Why do you always ask about Kurds?  
Jay: No, it's not Kurds.  
Samira: I don't know. I like saying Kurds.  



	2. Bring me pillows with no lavender

Samira is still in bed.  
Samira: I am so tired.  
Jay: Shall I order something for the room. A coffee. Fruit. Pastries.  
Samira: Not coffee.  
Jay: No coffee?  
Samira: No coffee. Tea. Jasmine tea.  
Jay: Okay.  
Samira: I want to stay in bed. My breasts hurt.  
Samira: You are not gentle enough. My breasts are sore.  
Jay: I'm very gentle with your breasts.  
Samira: If you were gentle enough my breasts wouldn't be sore, would they?  
Jay: So what do you want to do?  
Samira: What's that smell? It's this pillow case.  
Jay: Pillow case?  
Jay smells it.  
Jay: Lavender?  
Samira: It doesn't smell good.  
Jay: It's lavender.  
Samira: No, it smells like dirt.  
Jay: Dirt?  
Samira: I don't like it. I want different pillows.  
Jay: I can ask the desk to send us some pillows without lavender. Maybe they have some with no lavender. Samira, are you okay? You're tired. You don't want coffee. Your breasts are sore, you almost got seasick in a gondola. You suddenly can't tolerate the smell of lavender.  
Jay: Samira, could you be pregnant? Aren't those signs of pregnancy?  
Samira: No. That's impossible.  
Jay: So today would be 19 days since we got married. 19 days since our wedding night. Maybe you conceived that night.  
Samira: Unlikely. Maybe I am getting the flu.  
Jay: When you were pregnant before didn't this happen?  
Samira: It’s probably something I ate. The fish last night was a little off maybe. And Venice is kind of smelly. The light is nice. But the canals are smelly. The smell is making me want to throw up.  
Samira gets up. Goes in the bathroom. Throws-up. Sits on the floor next to the toilet.  
Jay follows her in. Kneels down next to her. Puts his hand on her back. Gets up, gets a washcloth. Wets it with warm water. Wipes her face. He sits down on the floor next to her.  
Samira: I need something to eat but if I eat I might throw up again.  
Jay: What could you eat?  
Samira: Maybe a cracker.  
jay: Okay: I'll order crackers. If they don't have them, I'll go out and get some.  
Samira: Don't go. Bread then, some toast would be okay. No butter.  
Samira: Could we go back now? Yeah. I want to go back to London. I'd feel better in the flat.  
Jay: Of course. Let me see what I can arrange. Today? You want to wait til tomorrow?  
Samira: Today. If I'm going to be sick, I want to be sick at home. In the flat.  



	3. Can you make oatmeal?

They land at Heathrow. Samira is asleep.  
Jay: Wake up. We're back. Amelia and Sammy are here. 

They disembark. Get their bags. Samira lifts her bag off the carousel. Jay takes it from her. She tries to pull it back.  
Samira: I can carry my own bag.  
Jay: No. 

Go out to the concourse. Jay calls Sammy.  
Amelia and Sammy find them.  
Sammy: Let's go. You're sick Samira.?  
Samira: Maybe a flu.  
Amelia walks with Samira.  
Amelia:How was Venice?  
Samira: Beautiful light. Stinky canals. I'm glad to be back.  
Amelia:You left two days early.  
Samira: I got sick this morning.  
Amelia: You know these guys are leaving in a couple of days. Do you want to come out and stay with us. Maybe you shouldn't be alone if you are sick.  
Samira: I thought maybe something I ate. But I'm tired, achy. Just want to get back to the flat.  
Amelia: Want to see a doctor?  
Samira: Jay called his sister. She said liquids, rest. Take my temperature. Maybe a bug.

The next afternoon.  
Jay is sitting on the sofa in his flat. Samira is sitting next to him, leaning against him.  
Jay: Are you cold? You want a blanket?  
Samira: A little cold.  
Jay gets up gets a blanket from the bedroom. Covers her. Puts his arms around her. Pulls her close.  
jay: You threw up again this morning. You're tired. Your breasts are sore and I haven't touched you for three days.  
Samira: I know. Okay. Let's talk about this. You have a one bedroom flat. You said we would talk about pregnancy if I got pregnant. That's not the right way to do it. So now if I'm pregnant, we talk about whether to end the pregnancy or not?  
Jay: No we don't talk about that.  
Samira: How can we be parents? I'm not ready.  
Jay: You're ready. You can be ready.  
Samira: I'm not ready. No. I've been back in England 8 months.  
Jay: We're ready. You can be ready. We can be ready.  
Samira: I don't want you to go. No. It's okay if you go. I want you to stay. But it's okay if you go. I'm not sure what I want.  
Jay: I have to go. Do you want to go out to stay with my father. He'd like your company.  
Jay's phone rings.  
Jay: Hey Sis. Downstairs? Okay.  
Jay: Uh, my sister is here.  
Samira: Here? Now? Why?  
Jay: Not sure.  
Jay: Going down to let her in.  
Jay leaves.

He comes back into the flat with Yasmin.  
Yasmin: Hello Samira. Sorry to barge in but Jay called me when you were in Venice. He was a little worried about you. I was nearby, headed home. Had a meeting at the hospital. Thought I'd stop by. Do you mind if I take your temperature, pulse. Quick exam. Have a look at your throat.  
Smaira: Don't need an exam. Throat isn't sore. Temperature is a little high. A degree. Yasmin, I'm probably not sick. I'm probably pregnant.  
Yasmin. Ah.  
Jay: Ah.  
Yasmin: I know a wonderful obstetrician, Barney Larsen. He was my obstetrician. He might have been Amelia's too. Sweetest guy in the world. I'll call him if you like.  
Samira: I need to do a test, but I'm pretty sure.  
Yasmin: I'll leave his number. And I'll send him a note that he might hear from you. When is my brother leaving next?  
Samira: Tomorrow.  
Jay: Gone 10 days or so.  
Samira starts crying.  
Jay takes her hand.  
Yasmin: Do you want to come to our place?  
Samira: I'm just a little emotional. I'm okay.  
Samira: Your father said I could come out there any time. I might go out to the country house.  
Jay: And Wilfred and Angela are out there. They would take care of her.  
Yasmin: What time do you leave tomorrow brother?  
Jay: Gotta be at Global at 6AM.  
Yasmin: Samira, I'll come and drive you out to the country house tomorrow if you like.  
Samira: Kind offer. I'll stay here for a few days. I'm tired. I want to rest.  
Yasmin: Okay. Please you can call me if you need anything. I’ll get going if there's nothing I can do.  
Jay: I'll walk you out.  
Yasmin smiles at Samira: Good bye then.  
They leave.  


Jay and Yasmin walk down to the elevator.  
Yasmin: She's tired. She's just done a wedding, she went through all that after she got back here. She's been through a lot.  
Jay: We relaxed in Venice. It was nice. She just started feeling sick a couple of days ago.  
Yasmin: There is a lot you haven't told me about her.  
Jay: There is but let's just leave it that way for now.  
Yasmin: She isn't a girl you met 6 months ago. I can tell. You've known each other longer than that. She is the girl in India that you went to see isn't she?  
Jay: Let's say she isn't.  
Yasmin: I won't tell anyone. Not even Rashid.  
Jay: Your husband is a good man. But don't tell him about your suspicions please.  
Yasmin: Does father know?  
Jay: Some. He doesn't ask.  
Yasmin: He likes her. She reminds him of our mother.  
Jay smiles: She does. Yeah.  
Yasmin: Is there anything I can do?  
Jay: What would you say about a woman who had had a miscarriage after two months and then she got pregnant a year later. Theoretically. Not anyone we know.  
Yasmin: Theoretically? No one we know? Statistically about 2% of women who miscarry once, miscarry a second time. So if this were someone we knew, odds are good she won't miscarry in her second pregnancy.  
Jay: Um. If a woman, no one we know, theoretically, had a miscarriage and then got pregnant a year later, would it be safe to have sex with her theoretically?  
Yasmin laughs: Theoretically little brother, it should be fine. Nice to be gentle. Later missionary position not good for obvious reasons but there are other positions. Oral fine of course. Some women have the best sex of their lives when they are pregnant. Something about the hormones and blood flow to the areas in question. Some theories that women relax more during pregnancy cause they don't worry about becoming pregnant.  
Jay: Okay. Thanks.  
Yasmin: Anything from her parents?  
Jay: Her father came to our hotel the day after the wedding. Wanted an apology from Samira for the bleach comment.  
Yasmin: Well I'm sure that embarrassed the mother. Even if it was true.  
Jay: She tried to walk it back.  
Yasmin: I know people who have worked with her father, physicians. He's a skilled surgeon, one of the best. He's great with men, but has trouble with the women. Treats the women like children or servants. Addresses male colleagues "doctor." Won't address the women as doctor, refers to them as Mrs. or Miss. at best, often with women just uses first names. Jay: He told us to come to see them when we came back from Venice.  
Yasmin: Are you going?  
Jay: When I get back probably. Depends on what Samira wants.  
Yasmin: Good luck. Yasmin kisses him on the check. Leaves.  


Jay back in the flat, sits down at the dining table. Looks across at Samira on the couch.  
Jay: You know I have to leave tomorrow.  
Samira: I know.  
Jay: Terry would make me a vice-president bring me out of the field if I wanted.  
Samira: He told me. I know you don't want that. Not necessary for me.  
Jay: I didn't think ahead. I just wanted you here. Wanted to be married to you. Just wanted to wake up with you, go to bed with you, spend weekends with you. I wanted to stop flying half-way around the world to see you. I wanted a normal life with you. Day to day. I said all that about your conceiving on our wedding night. I thought it was romantic. But I didn't think what it would mean.  
Samira: Do you know how to make oatmeal ?  
Jay: Oatmeal?  
Samira: At the cottage when we were there with Sammy and the kids, Amelia made oatmeal.  
Jay: Oatmeal? I've never made oatmeal. My mother made oatmeal. Irish oatmeal. She put honey in it and raisins.  
Samira: I want oatmeal.  
Jay: I'll call Amelia. Or Emile.  
Samira: Call Amelia.  
Jay calls Amelia.  
Jay: Hi Amelia. Samira wants oatmeal. She ate your oatmeal at Cove Cottage and she wants oatmeal. Does it come in packages?  
Amelia on phone: Yeah in packages, instant, just add hot water. It's okay. Not bad. But what I made at the cottage is McCann's Steel Cut. Any proper grocery will have it. Directions on the box. I put walnuts and dates in at the cottage. And honey. The kids love it. Sammy too. Samira did eat it with them at the cottage. You were out running.  
Jay goes out, gets oatmeal, comes back and cooks it. Adds honey walnuts raisins and chopped dates. Serves her.  
Samira: So good. You make very good oatmeal. Of course. Better than Amelia's even.  
Jay laughs: Extending my culinary horizons.  
Jay's phone buzzes.  
Jay: Hey Amelia.  
Amelia: She's tired. She's throwing-up. She wants oatmeal? Is she pregnant again?  
Jay: You're on speaker.  
Samira: Amelia. Hi. It's me. Pregnant? Maybe. Could be. Probably. Need to get a test.  
Amelia: Want my obstetrician's name?  
Samira: Not yet.  
Amelia: Call me if you need anything.  
Samira: I will.  
Samira hangs up.  
Jay: We are sitting here, married, having oatmeal for dinner. You are most likely pregnant and tomorrow I am going away for ten days.  
Samira: Isn't this just what you wanted.  
Jay: It is exactly what I wanted. Exactly. You here. You waiting here for me while I'm gone. You pregnant.  
Samira: And barefoot?  
Samira lifts a bare foot, wiggles her toes at him.  
Jay: Yes barefoot and pregnant. I wasn't expecting oatmeal though. That one is a surprise. Sorry about the 10 day thing.  
Samira: Part of the deal, no?  
Jay: Part of the deal. Yeah.  
Jay: We should go see your parents. When I get back.  
Samira groans: No.  
Jay: Will it be better or worse if you are pregnant.  
Samira: Better in a way. Have to accept our marriage, then.  
Samira: I'm going to tell them you are a dispossessed prince.  
Jay: Don't.  
Samira: My father is mad for royalty. The only women he really approves of are royals.  
Jay rolls his eyes.  
They do the dishes.  
Jay: Movie? A walk?  
Samira: A walk. Let's go over to Notting Hill. Walk around there. I want to pretend we live there.  
Jay: I'm sorry we lost out on the house you found.  
Samira: I'll find another one.  


Back in the flat.  
They are in bed. Sitting, leaning against the headboard. Blue comforter on the bed.  
Samira: Is there anymore oatmeal?  
Jay: No. I'll make some more. You want some? I'll get up. Make you some.  
Samira: No it's all right. I'll wait til tomorrow.  
Samira: I take it for granted you will cook for me. Serve me.  
Jay: I like to cook. Emile taught me to cook. I like it. I didn't have anyone to cook for til you. I like to cook for you. I like to wait on you. I know you like it.  
Samira: But I take it for granted. I just tell you what I want and I expect you to do it. I don't even ask you.  
Jay: If I get tired of it, I'll let you know.  
Samira: You're happy.  
Jay: I am.  
Samira: Proud that you learned to make oatmeal?  
Jay: Very proud. You are here. We're together. Here.  
Jay: Are you happy?  
Samira: What if I miscarry again?  
Samira: I did before.  
Jay: Don't think you will. I asked my sister about it. Theoretically. She said only about 2% of women who have a miscarriage in a first pregnancy have a miscarriage in their second pregnancy.  
Samira: Only 2% ?  
Jay: Only 2%.  
Samira: How do we do this?  
Jay: We do it together, we figure it out together, remember? We agreed in Goa. Do it together. Tomorrow morning I get up at 5 AM make you oatmeal. You drive me to Global after you throw-up a couple of times.  
Samira: Not funny.  
Jay: A little funny. You go back to the flat. Take a nap. Then you call Sammy's guy and tell him we have to have a house in Notting Hill. Now. And we'll get something and get moved. Easier for you to manage a move now that later.  
Samira: Except for the vomiting and the tiredness. But we don't have that much to move really.  
Samira: Can we afford what we want?  
Jay: Pretty sure we can find away. My father said to ask him if we found something and finances were a concern.  
Samira: Gale is going back to the States.  
Jay: To live?  
Samira: Yeah. His boyfriend moved in with somebody else. He's been missing San Francisco for awhile. The boyfriend kept him in India.  
Jay: What about the little theater?  
Samira: He said it was time to go back to the USA. He misses his sister. He said he missed me. He said we should move to San Francisco.  
Jay laughs.  
Jay: San Francisco?  
Samira: I think he and Terry are talking about something. They were cozy at the dinner after the wedding. I think Terry made him some kind of an offer.  
Jay shrugs: Hmmm. Haven't heard anything.  
Samira: We've been away.  
Samira: Can I call you if I need you?  
Jay: Only if a snake bites you.  
Samira: What about a poisonous spider?  
Jay: You still have the anti-venom kit, don't you?  
Jay: If you need me, call Terry. He said to give you his personal cell number. He'll be my stand-in or he'll get me.  
Jay: Okay?  
Samira: Okay.  
Jay: Could you live in San Francisco?  
Samira: I've never been there.  
Jay: Wanna go? When is Gale going back? Are there restrictions on your flying when you're pregnant?  
Samira: Don't know. Didn't get that far last time.  
Samira: Gale plans to move back beginning of September. Wrapping-up things in India. He's going to stay with his sister in Berkeley for awhile. Wants to buy a place in San Francisco.  
Jay: The pregnancy. Have you told him?  
Samira: Waiting til I have the test.  



	4. You know what I do; a house in Notting hill

Jay is in bed. Reaches over for Samira. She's not there.  
Jay: Samira?  
She is sitting on the bathroom floor next to the toilet.  
Samira: I'm sick again.  
Jay gets up, slips on his shorts. Goes in sits down next to her.  
Jay: Anything I can do.  
Samira: Don't make me pregnant?  
Jay: Little late for that one.  
Jay: I was going to get up and make you oatmeal.  
Samira: No. Nothing. No oatmeal.  
Jay gets up, gets a washcloth. Warm water on it.  
Sits back down. Hands her the cloth. She wipes her face.  
Samira: I hate throwing-up.  
Jay: If you don't want oatmeal, is there anything else I can get you?  
Samira: Not right now.  
Jay: Would you mind if I went for a run. going to be sitting most of the day.  
Samira: Sure. Nothing you can do here. I think I'll just sit here for awhile. Then maybe I'll take a shower.  
Jay puts on running shorts shoes t-shirt. He kisses her on top of the head as she is sitting on the floor. He leaves.

When he comes back Samira is dressed.  
Jay: How are you?  
Samira: Okay. Worst of the nausea seems to have passed for now.  
Samira: I made you a tea.  
Samira puts her arms around his neck. Pulls his head down. Kisses him.  
Jay: I'm all sweaty.  
Samira: I like the way you smell when you're all sweaty.  
Jay: How do I smell?  
Samira: Good, spicy. Like cardamom and apples.  
Jay: How does cardamom smell?  
Samira: Spicey, minty, a little citrusy.  
Jay: I'm taking a shower.  
Samira: You smell like you smell after sex. Maybe we could have quick goodbye sex.  
Samira sniffs him.  
Jay: Are you sniffing me? I'll have sex with you but I don't want you throwing-up on me.  
Samira: I thought it would be worth it to you. A little throw-up.  
Samira: I won't throw-up on you.  
Jay: Goodbye sex would be nice. Might be worth it. We could have octopus pearl diver sex. I'll be the octopus.  
Samira: We can have regular missionary sex. It'll be okay.  
Jay: You're sure? Have to be quick. Is quick okay?  
Samira: Quick is okay.  


*

Jay gets up from the bed. Leaves Samira dozing. Her clothes in a heap next to the bed.  
Jay showers. Comes back into the bedroom. Samira sits up in bed watches him. Jay dresses. He starts getting his things together to leave. Packs a bag. Takes one passport out of the safe. Takes out two hand guns. Gets his back pack.  
Samira: 2 guns? One passport?  
Jay: Yes.  
Jay:That's all I need this time.  
Samira: Ex-fil? Rendition? Hostage retrieval? Kidnapping a bride?  
Jay: No brides. Have completely given up kidnapping brides.  
Samira: Ransom delivery?  
Jay: Yeah. It is something like that.  
Samira: Don't need your Robin hood hat?  
jay: Don't think I'll need it. Might take my feather.  
Samira: No. I need the feather to stay here to keep me company while you're away.  
Jay grins his wolfish grin.  
Jay: Won't be the same without me.  
Samira: I'll use my imagination.  
Jay: You should abstain til I get back. Make you appreciate me more.  
Samira: How could I appreciate you more?  
Jay: Want me to take a cab?  
Samira: No I'll get up, get dressed. I want to drive you.  
Samira gets out of bed. Picks her clothes up off the floor. Dresses.  
Samira: You're taking your own guns? Not flying commercial then.  
Jay: No.  
Samira: The yellow submarine then?  
Jay laughs.  
Jay: Yep. We are taking the yellow submarine.  
Samira: Have you ever considered just opening a restaurant, just being a chef?  
Jay: Is that what you want? A chef? I did work for Emile and Claude in the kitchen in summers as a teenager.  
Samira: Your dad made you work. Didn't want a rich playboy for a son?  
Jay: No not my dad. He probably would have been okay if I'd wanted to be a playboy. Not my thing. Never my thing. It was my mother who made me work. Very fierce person when she wanted to be. I liked the restaurant. I learned a lot. Lot of camaraderie in the kitchen.  
Jay: Let's go.  
Samira: No breakfast?  
Jay: There's always food at the office.  
Samira: When will I hear from you?  
Jay: Don't know. Can't say. Samira, this is the 4th time I've gone on an operation since you've been living here with me. You know how it goes.  
Samira: I wasn't pregnant before.  
Jay: I can stop being in the field, go inside if you want. But even if I do that, I have to finish this.  
Samira: Stop saying that. I'm not asking you to take a desk job. I'll be okay. Call if you can, okay.  
Jay: No. If I have a chance to call you I won't take it because you are just newly pregnant and you are vomiting every morning and I can hardly stand to be away from you. No if I have a chance I definitely won't call.  
Samira: I thought I was the sarcastic one.  
Samira starts to hit him in the arm. He dodges her. Grabs her around the waist turns her around and kisses her neck. Holds her in front of him arms wrapped around her.   
Jay: Stop hitting me.  
Samira: You dodge me most of the time now.  
Jay: Find your house in Notting Hill. Two bedrooms - three if you can find one.

Samira is sleeping. Phone on the table next to the bed. On a charger. The phone vibrates. She reaches for it. Knocks it off the table. It hangs by the charging cord. She reaches over to get it. Can't reach it. Gets out of bed to get it. It stops vibrating.  
She checks. It is an unknown number. She calls the number back it goes to a voice mail. No number no name just "this phone is not accepting messages." Hangs up, throws the phone on the bed. Phone vibrates again. She crawls across the bed, gets the phone, covers her mouth, goes into the bathroom, sits by the toilet.  
Samira: Hello.  
Jay: Hey.  
Samira: Do you know what time it is here?  
Jay: It's 11:35 there. I thought you wouldn't mind if I woke you.  
Samira: Where are you?  
Jay: Cape Town.  
Samira: South Africa  
Jay: Yes.  
Samira: Why are you in Cape Town. I thought you'd be in Lebanon or Darfur or someplace.  
Jay: Nope. I'm in Cape Town.  
Samira: What time is it there?  
Jay: 1:35 here.  
Samira: In the morning?  
Jay: Of course in the morning.  
Jay laughs: Don't you know anything about geography ?  
Samira: I know where Cape Town is. I'm not good at time zones. I get them backwards sometimes.  
Jay: Were you sleeping?  
Samira: I was. When the phone rang I knocked it off the table then I got up to get it and I had to throw-up and now I am sitting on the bathroom floor .  
Jay: Did you throw up?  
Samira: No but I'm probably going to.  
Samira: I found a house but it is 2.3 million. Someone could get it for 2 million. Perfect location. It's on Vic  
jay: Shhhh. Not on the phone.  
Samira: Its a good house. Even a garage.  
Samira: Look can we talk on the phone or not? I mean do we have to talk in some code?.  
Jay: We can talk - just no specific names.  
Samira: How can we talk with no specific names?  
Jay: Tell me about it.  
Samira: Three bedrooms, nice kitchen, balcony, two bathrooms. Sweet patio. There were some leaves scattered on the patio. I could imagine us sitting there having breakfast. Or tea or drinks in the afternoon. Maybe a little heater there and sit outside at night. Just the location we talked about.  
Jay: It's available now?  
Samira: The people are moving to New uh to another continent. They are leaving in a few days. They already moved out. It's available.  
Jay: How much do they need to hold it?  
Samira: Oh, I didn't ask. I thought we couldn't afford it.  
Jay: I probably make a lot more money than you think.  
Samira: Well we never talked about it, did we?  
Samira: What about the stones.  
Jay; No. Not the stones.  
Jay: Call them and ask what they need to hold it. You're sure it's what you want?  
Samira: Yes, but I wish you could see it.  
Jay: If you like it, I'll like it.  
Samira: Okay. After they tell me what it will take to hold it what do I do?  
Jay: Ask them for 24 hours. I'll call you or someone will.  
Samira: Ga uh our friend from San Francisco - well soon will be from San Francisco - is coming tomorrow. Can I say San Francisco?  
jay: You can say San Francisco.  
Samira: I could show it to him. He's here to meet with someone. You know who.  
Jay laughs: My boss right?  
Samira: Yes.  
Jay: I probably won't be back for 6 or 7 more days. But, might wrap this up sooner than we thought. Don't want to lose this house like we lost the last one.  
Jay: I have to go.  
Samira: No not yet.  
Jay: Gotta got Dumpling. I love you. I love you so much.  
Samira: I love you. Don't call me Dumpling.  
Jay: I didn't.  
Jay hangs up.  
Samira throws up. Washes her face. Gets back in bed.


	5. Ransoming Prodigals

Samira pulls into the garage of Global. Parks. Takes the lift up to top floor.

Greets Terry's secretary, Andrea.  
Samira: Can I go in?  
Andrea: Let me check.  
Andrea: Mrs. Shah is here.  
Samira: You can call me Samira.  
Andrea: Samira Shah is here.  
Andrea: He says go in.  
Andrea: Thank you for inviting me to the wedding. It meant a lot to me to be included.  
Samira: Jay hoped you would come.  
Andrea: Your dress. And the veil. And the medallion you wore on your forehead. Like a queen. You were the most beautiful bride I ever saw.  
Samira looks down: Thank you.  
Terry comes to the door.  
Terry: Hey, beautiful.  
Samira: "Beautiful"? Isn't that sexist. Can't you get fired for that.  
Terry: Don't think so not if it's true. But who would fire me? I'd have to fire myself. But if you like I'll report myself to human resources.  
Samira: I thought they were back.  
Terry: Got bumped. Some emergency on another plane. They had to circle. They are circling. They'll land soon. Andrea will call me when they touch down.  
Samira: What were they doing?  
Terry: You call my splendid sleek plane that I am unashamedly proud of the yellow submarine.  
Samira: I do. Jay uses code words on phone calls when he is away. So I call it the yellow submarine.  
Terry laughs.  
Terry: Andrea calls it the flying banana.  
Samira: So what were they doing?  
Terry: Jay didn't tell you?  
Samira: No he didn't tell me.  
Terry: Film company lost a couple of their cast.  
Samira: I thought this was a planned thing.  
Terry: He was supposed to go to Dubai. Routine stuff. But I needed him and Sammy to do this. Little detour.  
Samira: Can you tell me?  
Terry: Some. It'll probably be in the papers. Not our part. Film on location in Cape Town. Couple of cast members fairly well-known took off to party a bit. Slumming. Went to the wrong place. Got a little drunk got very high. Or maybe it was very drunk and a little high. Bad either way. Would have been okay but they insisted their driver join in. Director hired a driver who was supposed to protect them and keep them on the straight and narrow. Driver got a little star-stuck. Joined in with too much enthusiasm. Wrong part of town. A couple of phone calls from someone in the bar who saw a financial opportunity. All three taken. Bags over their heads. Roughed-up. All three held. Ransom demands. Lives threatened, as well as threats to remove ears, fingers. Negotiations broke down. Director tried to handle the negotiations.  
Samira: Not a Globe driver?  
Terry: Of course not.  
Samira: So Sammy and Jay.  
Samira: Did they get them out?  
Terry: Yeah. Director wanted to leave the driver, but we insisted on all three - got all three out. Not soon enough. The star of the film lost part of an ear. They sent the director the top of an ear.  
Samira: Ew. Part of an ear?  
Terry: They wanted the film company to know they were getting impatient with the negotiations.  
Samira: Ugh.  
Terry: But our guys got most of the ransom back and those particular kidnappers won't be doing anymore kidnapping. Not sure what the prognosis is for the ear.  
Samira: Did you offer Gale something?  
Terry: Talking to him about an office in San Francisco.  
Samira: Why?  
Terry: Why what? Why Gale? Why San Francisco?  
Samira: both. either   
Terry: Want a US office. I like Gale.   
Terry's phone buzzes.  
Terry: Yeah. Okay. I'll take Samira with me.  
Hangs up.  
Terry: Wanna go with me to pick them up.  
Samira: Okay.  
They go down to the garage. Terry walks to a beat-up old Ford Explorer.  
Samira: Where's the Bentley?  
Terry: Bentley's just to show-off. Most of the time I drive this.  
Samira: An old Ford Explorer?  
Terry: This engine is bulletproof. I love this car. Still nice inside. You'll see. You know your cars?  
Samira: My brother. Learned from him. I like this. I want a jeep. A red one.  
They get in, drive to the airport.  
Terry talks to the guard at the gate. They drive on to the tarmac, drive out to the jet. Several people get off, one with a bandaged head covering left ear. Sammy and Jay get off last both carrying duffels. Soldier look to them. Jackets and camouflage pants tucked into military style boots. Both have sidearm. The man with the bandaged head waits at the bottom of the stairs for Sammy and Jay. Keeps thanking Sammy and Jay, shaking their hands.  
He walks walks over to Terry and Samira:  
Man:Thank you. Thank you so much.  
Terry: This is Samira Shah. Samira, Clyde Fernando. How's the ear? Sorry we couldn't get to you sooner.  
Clyde: Are they dead? They were monsters.  
Terry: Let's say their kidnapping days are over and leave it at that.  
Several people rush up to Clyde, surround him chattering, lead him away. A man in all black in his 50s in a beret walks over to Terry. Reaches out, shakes Terry's hand.  
Terry: Samira this is Danny Nolan. Danny, Samira Shah. He's the director of this movie. He wears a beret so we will all know he's a director. But he's a director who can't keep his cast in line.  
Danny shakes his head. Wry smile.  
Danny: Nice to meet you.  
Danny to Terry: How much is this going to cost us?  
Terry: A lot. Had to use my two best guys. Had to take them off a thing they were supposed to do in Dubai. We'll send you a bill.  
Danny: I'll just cut a location or two. I'll take it out of production costs. Or out of Fernando's salary.  
Terry: Samira is married to one of the guys who saved your prodigals.  
Danny: That must be interesting.  
Jay and Sammy walk up carrying their duffels. Jay puts his duffel down, puts his arms around Samira, kisses her. Keeps one arm around her.   
Jay: Hey.  
Samira: Hey. The soldier look. Boots, camouflage. Nice. Sexy.  
Sammy: Ah, we are greeted by the goddess.  
Sammy kisses Samira on the cheek.  
Danny: How bad is the ear?  
Sammy: He'll never play the flute again.  
Jay and Sammy laugh.  
Danny looks blankly at Sammy.  
Terry puts his arm around Danny.  
Terry: Ignore them. They watch Monty Python reruns. Danny do you have your car?  
Danny: Yeah.  
Terry: Let's go. You can drop me back, Danny. Want to talk to you a little about your protocols on location. Samira would you take our tired boys back to the office.  
Terry hands the keys to Samira.  
Samira: Sure.  
Sammy puts the duffels in the Explorer, gets in the back. Jay gets in the front passenger seat.  
Samira gets in the driver's seat. Starts the car.  
Sammy: I hear you're pregnant.  
Samira punches Jay on the arm.  
Samira: You told him?  
Jay: You told Amelia. Maybe she told him.  
Samira: Did Amelia tell you?  
Sammy: No Jay told me.  
Samira: You tell him everything.  
Jay: Not everything. I've been with Sammy a lot longer than I've been with you. And I was happy. I am happy. Come on.  
Samira: Yeah, you're happy cause you are not the one sitting on the floor of the bathroom throwing-up.  
Sammy: The vomiting, Samira, usually only the first three months.  
Samira glares at him in the rear view mirror.  
Sammy: Just trying to help.  
Jay: Uh, maybe don't help, Sammy. Maybe don't help. 


	6. Back from Capetown and a visit from Gale

Jay: Sammy do you need a ride home?  
Sammy: No car's in the garage.  
Samira: Not sure where Terry had the Explorer parked. I didn't notice when we left.  
Jay: In the slot that says "Overlord." Terry thinks he's funny.  
Samira: He is funny.  
Jay: It's over there.  
Samira pulls the Explorer into the slot that says "Overlord".  
Samira: What should I do with the keys?  
Sammy: I'll take them up. I have to pick up some things I left here.  
Sammy hugs Samira.  
Sammy: You'll be fine. 

Jay: Where's the car?  
Samira: Over by the elevator.  
jay: So whats happening with the house?  
Samira: They have another offer. Got in before ours.  
Jay: Can I still see it?  
Samira: We could drive by it on the way home.  
Jay: Okay.

They take Portebello, turn on the side street where the house is.  
Jay: Park. Let's go look in the windows.  
Samira: Ground floor just the front door and the garage doors on the street side. Well there is one window on the ground floor but it has shutters and they were closed. There are windows on the second floor.  
Jay: Okay lets look at the doors then.  
The walk down the street. It is the last house on a little dead in street. The doors are black. The house is brown stone.  
Jay: You sure the people have moved out? Smaira: Yes.  
Jay jumps up grabs the bottom of the balcony swings himself up. Balances on the ledge above the garage. Looks in the French doors. Moves along the ledge looks in the other windows.  
Samira: Impressive. Do that often?  
Jay: Do what's necessary. Different skills for different situations.  
Jay: Nice place.  
Samira: Could you see us there.  
Jay: Maybe.  
Samira: It has an offer.  
Jay: It's good. It's safe. I can tell. You'd be safe here.  
Jay: So who do I have to kill to get this house.  
Samira: No one. Don't joke. I mean you do kill people.  
Jay: Not for houses usually.  
Samira: What could be more important than getting the right house.  
Jay: You want me to kill someone to get this house?  
Smaira: Could you?  
Jay: Maybe. I try not to kill people in England.  
Jay: Can we offer more?  
Samira: I'm not sure how it works.  
jay: Okay. I'll see what I can do tomorrow.  
Samira: I invited Gale to dinner tomorrow. I called Claude. I made a reservation for three for 8:00.  
Jay: Okay, good.

* 

They are sitting in Vie en Rose. Candles burned down. Claude brings a second bottle of wine. Opens it at the table. Samira and Gale's glasses are empty. Jay's glass only partly empty. Claude pours more wine for Samira then Gale. Smiles at them. Leaves.  
Jay drinks the rest of his wine, switches his empty glass with Samira’s full one.  
Jay: You've had enough.  
Samira switches the glasses back.  
Samira: I'll say when I've had enough.  
Jay: I thought we agreed on this.  
Gale looks at one then the other.  
Gale: You having some problem with alcohol Samira?  
Samira: Of course not. Tell him.  
Jay: She's pregnant.  
Gale: Again? Already?  
Jay: Think she conceived on our wedding night.  
Samira: He's very proud of himself.  
Jay: I am. That was how I planned it.  
Jay: We were in Venice. Samira started throwing-up in the morning. We came back to London. Two days later I left for that thing in Cape Town. We didn't know for sure.  
Samira: We knew, but I just got the test results a couple of days ago.  
Gale counts on his fingers.  
Gale: So April?  
Samira: April.  
Jay: April?  
Samira: April  
Gale: You were in Capetown? I thought that might be you.  
Jay: Me and Sammy were there.  
Jay: And we come back yesterday.  
Gale: So Terry hasn't talked to you about opening an office in San Francisco?  
Jay: No.  
Gale: Terry wants to open a small office of Global - a satellite - in San Francisco. Pacific Rim and all that.  
Jay: With you. Partner?  
Gale: Not sure maybe partner. Maybe just an employee.  
Jay: Why? You don't need the money.  
Gale: Well I could use the money. I want to buy something in The City. Prices are almost as bad as London. And you know the thing we did in Delhi. It made me miss it. Theater was fun but Delhi ...  
Samira: The City?  
Gale: Locals call San Francisco "The City." Among the many pretensions there. Jay, maybe you should come there with me. We could do it together. Samira, You'd like it. London can be stuffy. You have a history here, in the U.S. you could start over.  
Jay: Samira just found a house. Going to make a back up offer on it tomorrow. Nice place. We don't know anybody in the States. I'm not sure Samira would be welcome. Her name may be on some no-fly list now. I could go to the States. I have dual citizenship.  
Samira: You do?  
Jay: I was born in Berkeley. Alta Bates Hospital.  
Samira: You were?  
Gale: You were?  
Jay: I told you my parents met at Berkeley. My father got a Masters in Political Science there and then did his law degree at Bolt. The Berkeley law school. My sister was born there and so was I. I was born just before they left to come back to England. So I have dual. Have a US passport as well as my English passport. Real passports. Well all my passports are real. Some are just more real than others. I've only been there a few times. My dad and I went for 2 months after my mother was killed. He wanted to go to places they had been together. I just kept him company. I like the weather there. And the Bay. It's big. Like a little inland sea. We sailed. My dad sails.  
Gale: I didn't know you were born in the states.  
Jay: Doesn't usually come up.  
Gale: Terry know?  
Jay: Of course he knows. Once in awhile I use my U S passport.  
Gale: Why don't you two come out and spend a week with me.  
Gale: You can fly can't you. Pregnant women fly all the time. You visit. My sister has a house in the Berkeley Hills. Plenty of room.  
Claude comes up to the table followed by Emile.  
Jay: Claude, Emile, this is our friend Mike Gale. He's from the States.  
Gales shakes hands.  
Gale: Best dinner I've had in a long long time.  
Emile: Dessert tonight? I made Creme Brulee.  
Samira: Yes for me please.  
Jay: Three then I guess.  
Claude: I'll come back to see about coffee and cognac.  
Claude leaves.  
Gale: Cognac? Coffee? Heaven.  
Jay: No cognac for her.  
Samira laughs.  
Samira: He's just showing off.  
Jay laughs.  
Jay: I am. I like it that she's pregnant. Trying to boss her around on alcohol is my way of being involved.  
Samira: Too bad you can't do the throwing-up.  
Gale: Have you ever heard of couvade?  
They shake their heads.  
Gale: Look it up.  
Samira: How do you spell it?  
Gale: C O U V A D E . 


	7. What are the rules?

Jay and Samira are lying in bed.  
Jay: Samira, What abut sex? I mean I'm satisfied lying here in bed next to you. Just touching you a little. I missed you. Feels good to have you next to me again.  
Jay: When I'm away, I think about sex with you. I was looking at positions on my phone on the plane. There are 9 okay positions for pregnancy from the Kama Sutra. You know I look forward to coming home and having sex with you. When I'm away at night I like knowing you are lying here in my bed, our bed. But maybe no sex for a while. I want to be careful. It's fine. I mean I can wait til we know what is okay. I want to wait til we talk to the doctor. I mean I don't want to wait. But I will wait. Of course we should wait.  
Samira: You are talking so fast. Are you anxious?  
Jay: No. Of course not. I just want to be responsible about this.  
Samira: We had sex before you left. People have sex during pregnancy. They do. During pregnancy.  
Jay: My sister said some women say the best sex they ever had in their lives was during pregnancy.  
Smaira: You asked your sister about having sex while I'm pregnant?  
Jay: I asked her about sex and pregnancy generally, theoretically. She's a doctor. And I did. And, she's my sister. Why shouldn't I ask her?  
Samira: Maybe the best sex your sister ever had was when she was pregnant.  
Jay: Okay I see your point about my sister.  
Jay: Because of last year, you know I don't want to do anything wrong. Don't want to put you at risk. Want to be careful.  
Samira: I have an appointment next week with the doctor your sister recommended. Larsen.  
Jay: We both go, okay? Together. We talk to him together.  
Samira: Of course.  
Jay: I'll start making a list of questions.  
Samira: Sex at the top of the list?  
Jay: I should apologize for wanting to have sex with you.  
Samira snuggles up.  
Jay: Next week? The appointment is next week? That's kind of a long time. I mean I can wait but maybe some sex would be okay.  
Samira: The sex before you left was pretty good. Even though it was regular quick missionary sex. Want to be my octopus tonight? That has to be safe.  
Jay: I'm making a list. I want to know about alcohol too. You probably shouldn't drink. At all. And exercise. You don't like to exercise. But maybe you should . I wonder if running is safe. But you hate running. You could walk. We could walk every morning.  
Samira: Your control thing. You are going to try to take charge of this and try to control everything aren't you?  
Jay sheepish: No. Maybe a little. Did you say you want to play pearl diver and octopus?  
Samira: You are a very good octopus. And, I'm sure that is safe.  
Jay: I could get up put on my boots and you could get on the floor and take them off and then see if there is something you could do from there on the floor that I would enjoy. I'm sure that would be safe.  
Samira: Two good choices.  



	8. Wisteria Mews. An offer of an office in the States

Samira is sitting on the floor in the bathroom. Jay is still in bed. Jay's phone next to the bed vibrates.  
Jay: Hey Gale. Where are you?  
Gale: Have an old friend in Vauxhall. Staying with him. Old times. Leaving tomorrow. Going back to Jaipur to finish things up there. Anything you want me to do there?  
Jay: Can't think of anything. Let me ask Samira.  
Samira comes in to the bedroom. Sits on the bed.  
Samira: Hi Gale.  
Gale: How ya feeling kid?  
Samira: Icky. What is a nice girl like me doing in a place like this?  
Gale: Got involved with bad company?  
Samira: Bad company. When are you coming back?  
Gale: Not for awhile. Why don't you come to San Francisco?  
Samira: Seeing doctor the day after tomorrow. I'll ask him about traveling. How long is the flight?  
Gale: London to San Francisco nonstop is 11 hours, Sweety.  
Samira: Ugh. No Gale. makes me want to throw up thinking about 11 hours on a plane even if they would let me out of the country. This nausea thing lasts three months. Maybe after that. Can't think about being on a plane while I'm vomiting every morning. And I think we might be able to get the house we looked at. There was an offer but it looks like it might fall through.  
Gale: Maybe for Valentines? I should be settled by then.  
Samira: Okay. I'll think about February.  
Gale: Anything you want me to do in Jaipur? Or Goa?  
Samira: No. I think we covered everything before we left.  
Gale: Jay, can you come into Globe this afternoon for an hour or so. Terry and I want to talk to you.  
Samira: I'm not invited?  
Gale: You are not invited. Boys only.  
Jay: Sure. What time?  
Gale: Terry said about 3:00.  
Jay: Yeah okay. 

Terry and Gale are in the conference room. Jay walks in.  
Terry: Hear Samira found a house.  
Jay: You know Samira's pregnant?  
Terry: Samira didn't mention it when we picked you up the other day but Gale mentioned it. Congratulations.  
Jay: Thanks. She wants more room. She found something while I was in Cape Town. A mews house. Carnation Cross Mews. Yeah, always wanted to live in a stable. She wants to be within walking distance of Portobella. We could get more for the money if we went out of London. She wants Notting Hill.  
Gale: A stable?  
Terry: Sarcasm. Mews houses were originally stables. Nice locations.  
Jay: This place is over-priced. 2.5 million. I rather be on one of the communal gardens. They have another offer.  
Jay: So what's going on.  
Terry: I want an office in the USA. Want something on the West Coast. East Coast saturated. Pacific Rim. All that.  
Jay: Yeah.  
Terry: Any interest in going to the States for 4-5 years?  
Jay: I like the States. Samira hasn't ever been to the states. Would they let her in?  
Terry: Think so. We can quietly find out if there will be a problem. Might need to get the Pakistan thing with the guard settled but we can do that.  
Gale: What do you have in mind, Terry.  
Terry: Maybe five people. Same stuff we do here.  
Gale: America's gun friendly. Helps sometimes.  
Jay: My dad would be disappointed if we went to the States. He's fond of Samira. I'd miss Sammy and Amelia, my sister.  
Jay: Samira might like the idea though. I'd have to talk to her. We don't know anyone there. You have a time line?  
Gale: You'd know me. My sister.  
Terry: Gale and I figure a year to set things up.  
Jay: You need an answer?  
Terry: Not right away. I'm going ahead with it. You have 6 months or so to think about it. Talk to Samira Why don't you take Samira and visit. See how she likes it.  
Jay: Not sure when she can fly. She's sick every morning. She wants to move out of the flat. Wants more room. I wanted her to get pregnant, seemed romantic but the whole thing is a little overwhelming.  
Terry: Her brother's coming home.  
Jay: When?  
Terry: Few weeks.  
Jay: Can I tell her.  
Terry: No. Just wait til he's out.  
Terry: I thought I might make him an offer. Any thoughts.  
Jay: Met him once.  
Jay laughs:  
Jay: Like his style. When we went out to Dorset to look at the castle for the wedding, stayed a week. I was running one night. Stopped, leaning over tying a shoe. Guy came up behind me put a gun in my back, said "You move, you die." Then he asked me if I planned to marry that girl who got kidnapped. I said yes. He came around took off the watch cap lowered the gun. Said he didn't see how anyone could marry her she is so messy. Introduced himself as Samira's brother. Thought it was funny. I liked him. Lots of style. And he's good. Said he'd watched us for several days. Had a feeling but never saw him. Came the next night to see Samira, stayed til dawn. Revealed a little of what he's been doing for Six. He'd be an asset. I'd work with him any time.  
Terry: Okay. Maybe he'd like San Francisco if you don't. But Jay, you have dual - would make it easy for us to set things up in the States.  
Jay: Just don't know. Have to talk to Samira. 

* 

Jay is back in the flat.  
Samira: The offer fell through. We can meet the realtor there. You can see it.  
Jay: Terry wants to open a Globe office in San Francisco. Me and Gale.  
Samira: What about this house?  
Jay: We'll get the house. We should stay here through your pregnancy regardless, but do you think you might like living in the states?  
Samira: We don't know anyone there.


	9. London time or San Francisco time

November.  
Samira and Jay are on a British Airways flight. 1st class. Samira by the window. Samira obviously pregnant. Jay looking at his phone.  
Jay: Gale will be waiting for us.  
Samira: What time is it here?  
Jay: About 1:30.  
Samira: What time is it in London?  
Jay: 8 hours later.  
Samira: So 9:30 pm?  
Jay: Yep.  
Smaira: How do you guys do it? Flying in and out. You have to accomplish things. No time to adjust. How do you do it? How do you even know what time it is?  
Jay: Set watch to local time when we land. Stay up sometimes even 24 hours then go sleep on local time.  
Samira: Does that work?  
Jay: Usually. Occasionally take sleeping pills.  
Samira: I remember a time you took sleeping pills at the Rambagh palace.  
Jay looks at her.  
Jay: Ah my dream girl. I vaguely remember that.  
Samira looks: What is that down there? The colors?  
Jay: Those are the salt flats at the bottom of San Francisco Bay.  
Samira: That's the Bay? It's huge. It's beautiful here isn't it.  
Jay: Yep.  
Samira: Where is the Golden Gate Bridge?  
Jay looks across her out the window.  
Jay: We passed it. North and west of where we are now. Probably flew over it a little while ago. On clear days the pilots fly over the bridge from the north then go around and approach the San Francisco Airport from the South. You'll might see The Bridge from the plane as we leave if it's clear. We'll take off to the north.  
Jay: We'll can drive across The Golden Gate or walk across it if you want. If you feel up to it.  
Smaira: I'm not sick, I'm pregnant. I'd like to walk across it. How long is it?  
Jay: More than a mile.  
Looks at his phone.  
Jay: 1.7 miles. So over and back would be 3.4 miles.  
Samira: I love to walk. I can do that. No problem.

* 

They get their bags. Samira takes her bag from the carousel. Jay takes it away from her. Samira: I can take my bag.  
They tug of war the bag back and forth. Samira gives up.  
Samira: Fine you take the bags. 

*

Gale comes up to them as they walk away from the carousel.  
Gale reaches for Samira. Hugs her.  
Gale: You are more beautiful than ever. A glow.  
Samira: I am tired. I want a shower. I don't know what the fuck time it is. And I'm starving. And he is treating my like an invalid.  
Gale: So welcome to San Francisco.  
Jay laughs.  
Jay: My pregnant bride is a little tired and cranky.  
Gale: Where to?  
Jay: Fairmont, please.  
Gale: Okay.

* 

They are in a suite at the Fairmont. Nice suite. View out across the San Francisco Bay north and east.  
Samira: What time is it?  
Jay It's about 3:30.  
Samira: What time is in in London?  
Jay 11:30.  
Samira: I'm sleepy.  
Jay Stay up if you can.  
Smaira: Where is the Golden Gate from here?  
Jay: We're in the tower. That is Alcatraz Island and Coit tower. Berkeley off to the right. The bridge is behind that building, off to the left.  
Samira: I wanted to see the bridge.  
Jay: There wasn't a room with a view of the bridge when I made the reservation. We might be able to move if someone leaves.  
Samira: You could kill someone who has a Golden Gate view and we could take their room.  
Jay: Try not to kill people in the USA.  
Smaira: I thought you loved me.  
Jay: Nope. Just here cause your having my baby.  
Samira: Do they have a pool?  
Jay: Sorry Dumpling. No pool.  
Smaira: No pool.  
Jay: View or pool. I thought about the Palace Hotel nice indoor pool. But thought since your first time here, chose view.  
Samira: I like the view. It's okay no pool. Beautiful view.  
Jay: There is a spa. Nob Hill spa. they have an infinity pool. could swim there.  
Samira: Okay. Samira: Want to be my octopus?  
Jay: You want to be my pearl diver? I was planning to wear my boots later. You might have to take them off. And then while you are sitting at my feet....  
Jay's phone rings.  
Jay Hey Gale.  
Gale: Want to go over to Berkeley and meet my sister. Could take you to Chez Panisse. Upstairs. Pizza, calzone. Good food. Samira would like it. An old house. The classic California cuisine. Pretty well known. Emile and Claude would be impressed.  
Samira nods: I'll try not to fall asleep.  
Jay to Gale: Sure.  
Jay: We'll get you a coffee. A latte  
Samira: An espresso maybe.  
Gale: I'll pick you up. I'll bring you an espresso, Samira. Jay?  
Jay: I'm good  
Gale: 45 minutes.


	10. Malcolm X Elementary Chez Panisse  One Glass of Wine

Samira: This is Berkeley?  
Gale: This is. I grew up here.  
Jay: You did?  
Gale: Yeah. Berkeley High. Malcolm X Elementary.  
Samira: Is that real? Malcolm X elementary?  
Gale: It's real.  
Gale: What do I show you Samira that would make you want to move here for a few years?  
Samira: What is the place most like Notting Hill?  
Gale: Will have to think about that. Some nice places here. North Berkeley is nice. Solano Avenue. Up above it The Arlington. Thousand Oaks. Safe. Houses in the hills, great views of the bay, the bridges. Great big old houses. Berkeley has the University. Interesting people. Diverse. People from all over the world in Berkeley. Smart people. There's also Tiberon. Sausalito. Mill Valley. Noe Valley in the City. I'm renting a place in the Castro. Looking to buy in the Castro or Noe Valley.  
Gale parks on Shattuck Avenue just south of Chez Panisse.  
Gale: That's it, points to a two story dark brown Arts and Crafts house, wisteria hanging from a front pergola.  
Gale: We are going upstairs.  
They go in the front door, are greeted.  
Gale: We're here for the cafe. We're expecting a 4th person. Dr. Allison Gale.  
Greeter: Of course. Upstairs. Take any open table. When she comes we'll let her know you've gone up already.  
He makes a quick note on a pad.  
Samira looking around as they walk up the stairs.  
Samira: I love this. It smells so good in here. This is the way I imagined Berkeley.  
They slip into a booth that is being vacated. It's cleared. A waiter brings bread. Sparkling water and menus.  
Samira: What time is it here?  
Jay laughs: It's 6:10.  
Samira: What time is it in London?  
Samira: Forget about what time it is in London. Get with local time.  
Samira: I will but just once more?  
Jay: It's 2:10 AM.  
Jay: I mean it Samira. Get with local time.  
Gale: He's right. You'll feel better.  
Samira: Okay.  
The waiter comes back. Gale orders a bottle of wine. Crostinis. Cheese plate. Pate'.  
Gale: We are expecting a fourth person. She'll also have wine. We'll wait to order main dishes until she comes.  
Waiter: Yes sir. I'll bring 4 glasses.  
Jay: How's the set-up coming, Gale?  
Gale: It's good. Got a business license. Working on liability. Heath insurance. Interviewing secretaries, office managers. Wilkerson has been here to look into legal stuff. Wants to find us some local people. Looked at a couple of offices.  
The waiter brings wine the glasses and the appetizers. Pours for Gale and Samira. Jay shakes his head. The waiter leaves the bottle.  
Samira to Jay: One glass.  
Gale: I met your brother, Hassan. Funny guy. Sense of humor. He's thinking about coming here to the States. Terry likes him.  
Samira: Isn't health care here awful?  
Gale: Heath care not a problem for people like us. The have and the have-nots with health care in the States. Best in the world except maybe Switzerland if you can pay. Terry is looking into good heath care policies for everybody who'd be here. Need something good given what we do. Terry even has extra private medical policies in the UK for everybody.  
A woman who looks remarkably like Gale comes to the table.  
Gale: My sister Dr. Allison Gale.  
He stands, hugs her, she hugs him back. She scoots in and Gale pulls up a chair.  
Gale: This is my dear friend Samira and her husband Jay.  
Gale pours wine for his sister.  
Samira: The Batman and Ramen t-shirt.  
Allison laughs: One of my best.  
Samira: He gave it to me after I begged for it for 6 months.  
Allison: If I'd known, I'd have sent you one.  
Samira: I think Gale liked my begging.  
The waiter comes for their orders. Pours more wine for Samira and Gale. Jay frowns at Samira.  
Waiter: Another bottle of wine perhaps sir?  
Gale: Please yes.  
Jay: You teach at Cal, Allison?  
Allison: Anthropology. I study judges and their excesses and their invulnerability.  
Waiter comes. Brings the 2nd bottle of wine. Opens it pours for Gale, Samira and Allison. Jay shakes his head again.  
Samira: Just one more glass.  
Jay switches his water glass with her wine glass.  
Jay: No. I'll have the wine. You have the water.  
Samira makes a face.  
Jay: The doctor said a glass or two. You've had your two. No more. I'll drink this one.  
Samira annoyed: Fine. But you don't even want it.  
The waiter removes the appetizer plates. Crumbs the table.  
Samira: I thought they only did that in London.  
Jay: My parents went to Cal. Met at Cal. They were there in the late 70's, early 80's,  
Allison: Interesting times.  
The waiter brings their food. Pours more wine for Gale and Allison, looks at Samira. She shakes her head. The waiter looks at Jay.  
Jay: I'm good.  
Jay to Allison: One of my father's favorite pictures of my mother is of her in Sproul Plaza holding a sign that says “Like a fish needs a bicycle.”  
Allison laughs.  
Jay: My mother terrified my father and attracted and fascinated him at the same time.  
Allison to Samira: How are your feeling? How was your flight?  
Samira: Flight was good. I'm a little tired. I keep trying to figure out what time it is in London. My first time here. We came in over the bay. It's beautiful.  
Allison: I don't know how much you two had to do with my brother moving back to the states but it is great to have him back. My husband died two years ago. And my son is in Italy doing research on Caravaggio.  
Samira: Who is Caravaggio?  
Allison: A painter. Italian late 1500s early 1600s. Didn't live long, a rowdy guy. Did great things with light. Probably only about 50 paintings. Lots of forgeries.  
Allison takes out her phone. Finds Caravaggio's The Taking of Christ shows it to Samira.  
Samira looks at the painting. Reads the information.  
Samira: This is in Dublin.  
Allison: It is. And there is one of his paintings at National Gallery in London too. You could see them for yourself.  
Waiter: Another bottle sir?  
Gale looks at Jay. Jay shakes his head.  
Gale: No thanks. That's enough for tonight .  
Allison: Mike tells me you are quite a good photographer Samira.  
Samira: I take a few pictures.  
Jay: Since she got back to England she has been photographing children's playgrounds in the rain. Empty playgrounds.  
Gale: I didn't know that.  
Allison. Do you have any of the pictures in your phone.  
Samira: A few.  
Allison: May I see?  
Samira gets her phone out. Shows Allison several photos.  
Allison: These are very good. These are haunting. You should exhibit them.  
Allison hands the phone with the photos to Gale.  
Gale: Why didn't you show me these?  
Samira: Well I haven't exactly had much time with you in the last 6 months have I?  
Jay: Some friend of Terry's wants her to exhibit them.  
Allison: You should, Samira. They make me want to cry.  
Allison: I have a confession. Mike brought me here tonight, offered to pay for my dinner if I will help him persuade you two to move here.  
Samira: We just bought a house in London a few months ago.  
Jay: A stable. Not a house. Carnation Cross Mews.  
Gale: Mews means stables. There are houses that were once stables. Well stables below and people lived on the floor above the stable.  
Waiter comes. Clears.  
Waiter: Dessert, coffee, a dessert wine ?  
Jay and Samira and Allison decline. Gale asks for coffee and the check.  
Jay takes out his wallet.  
Gale: Put your wallet away. This is part of my charm offensive to get you two to move here.  
Gale pays. They gather their things and stand to leave.  
Allison: I hope I'll see you again before you go. Make Mike bring you up to the house. I have a great old house in the hills - two bridge view.  
Samira starts to say something.  
Jay looks at Samira: Do not ask me what time it is.

On the way back across the Bay Bridge Samira falls asleep in the back seat.  
They pull into the Fairmont.  
Samira: Where are we? What time is it?  
Jay: 10:30. We're in San Francisco. At our hotel.  
Samira: London time or San Francisco?  
Jay: There is only San Francisco time now.


	11. Duck Tacos, Missing BBC Crew, 2 bridge view

Jay: Wake up Samira.  
Samira: What time is it.  
Jay: It's 11:00  
Samira: What time is it in London?  
Jay: You slept for 12 hours. How about some breakfast?  
Samira; You won't tell me what time it is in London.  
Jay: No. It's 8 hours difference. Figure it out.  
Samira: Do I add it or subtract it?  
Jay: You add breakfast. Room service. Or we can meet Gale on Green Street. He wants to show us a Mexican Food Place. And he wants to suggest places to go while we are here.  
Samira: Okay. Coffee and a scone in the room. Shower then meet Gale.

* 

Gale is sitting at a table right next to an open window in a restaurant on Union Street as they walk by.  
Jay: Not going to have trouble finding you.  
Gale: Come on in.  
The go in, sit across from Gale.  
A plate of chips and a bowl of guacamole in a stone dish are on the table. Gale has a margarita. Want one?  
Samira: Are they good? Yeah. Jay shakes his head.  
Samira:This feels a little like Notting Hill.  
Gale: I haven't mentioned Russian Hill as a possibility. Very nice there. Pricey. Don't know how much money the two of you have.  
Jay: We just bought a house. Budget's a little tight. We'd probably rent if we came here.  
Gale: So you're going to a spa to swim? Then after that what is your pleasure today?  
Waiter comes, they order duck taco platters.  
Samira: Fairmont has no pool but there is a pool at the Nob Hill Spa and I made an appointment there, but they won't let you swim laps so I canceled the appointment. So I thought I'd like to go to the deYoung or the Tea Garden or the California Academy of Science. I want to go in the Earthquake Simulator.  
Gale looks at Jay.  
Jay: She shouldn't do it. It's risky. But she refused to have obedience in the wedding vows. So she does what she wants.  
Samira: It doesn't say you can't do it if you are pregnant.  
Jay: I called my doctor sister. She said it's fine. But I wish you wouldn't do it.  
Samira rolls her eyes.  
Jay's phone vibrates, buzzes.  
Jay: Hey Terry. We just ordered tacos at a place on Union Street in San Francisco and Samira wants to go in the earthquake simulator and I don't want her to. Of course she will do what she wants to do. My sister said it is not dangerous. But I don't like it.  
Jay gets up and goes outside with the phone, walks down the street a little way.  
Samira and Gale look at each other.  
Smaira: They want him for something.  
Gale: Probably.  
Gale: Why'd you get pregnant so soon?  
Samira: He wanted it.  
Gale: Why did you go along?  
Samira: I'm unhappy without him. Wanted to be with him. Sometimes I feel like I just drift along. I just want him to have what he wants. What he wants is me with him, me pregnant. I'm not sure he gets what it will be like to be a family not just a couple.  
Gale: But didn't you want something different? You know the photography. You did it as a cover. But I know you liked it. And you know you're good. Those playground pictures. You should show them.  
Waiter brings the duck tacos. Leave bowls of cilantro and chopped peppers and salsa.  
Samira: I thought I wanted something. When I left him in Goa, the first time we were there, I thought he was just an episode. I thought I'd remember him fondly. Move on. Wasn't til later, I knew there was more to it with us. I missed him all the time. Sunset. Sunrise. When I was with another man, missed him. Turns out what I want is him. I'm happy just to be his. I mean that's how he thinks of me. As his. He compared me once to a train set. A train set he had when he was nine.  
Gale: You? A train set?   
Samira: He said it was the best present he ever got. He said I'm like the best present he ever got.   
Gale: What's it like to be the best present he ever got?   
Jay comes back in.  
Samira: Bad news huh?  
Jay: Terry needs me to come back.  
Samira: What do you mean?  
Jay: A BBC crew on the Turkey-Iran border has been taken. Maybe Iranians or maybe by Kurds.  
Samira: Kurds really. I knew eventually it would be Kurds.  
Jay: What have you got against Kurds.?  
Samira: Nothing really.  
Jay: Sammy's cousin Lilly, his mother's sister's daughter is one of the BBC crew taken. The sister knows. Wasn't supposed to tell anyone but she called Sammy's mother. His mom called Sammy. BBC had already contacted Terry for help. BBC camera man was shot; he died. Apparently he tried to stop it. Whoever took the crew left him behind. He was alive when some local Turks found him. One spoke a little English. Not enough. Camera man still had his phone. We need to get his phone. See what is in the phone. BBC wants someone to go see what is going on and see what it will take to get them back. Sammy insists on going. Keeping it quiet for now but the camera man's family knows something is wrong. Haven't been able to reach him. Making a fuss. If they go to the press will make things worse. Terry will arrange for the camera man's body to be brought back. British Embassy quietly helping, staying mostly on sidelines for now. Terry thinks having a Farsi speaker may help if it's Iranians. But even in Iran in that area most people speak a form of Kurdish. I can't speak Kurdish. Neither can Sammy so we'll have to take a translator. But with me there, we can use a Kurdish-Farsi speaking translator. May make it easier. Not sure the Turks will help much. They'll will do whatever is in their best interest. No ransom demands yet. Not clear what is going on. We'll go in as representatives of the BBC.  
Samira: Does the Iranian government know you exfiled one of their generals.  
jay: They know someone did. Don't think they know it was me exactly.  
Samira: So we go back?  
Gale: Samira can stay. Let her stay. I'll take care of her. Show her around. Maybe even look at houses. Continue the charm offensive. If Samira wants to come here, Jay, I know you'll come. If you want to stay but don't want to be in a hotel you can stay with my sister. You two seemed to get on pretty well.  
Jay: You want to stay for a few more days, rest of the week?  
Samira: Are you going to leave immediately when we get back.  
Jay: Yeah. Back, then on first plane to Istanbul.  
Samira: I married 007.  
Samira: How long do I have to decide?  
Jay looks at his watch: I'd say ten minutes.  
Smaira: Ten minutes San Francisco time or London time?  
Jay: San Francisco time.  
Samira: How long do you think this will take.  
Jay: Ten days probably.  
Samira: Sammy's going too.  
Jay: Yeah. The cousin will know she can trust us if Sammy is there. He wants to go. His mother wants him to go. Terry won't say no in a situation like this. And with Sammy there better chance if we tell her, them, to do something, more likely they will do what we tell them and not argue.  
Samira: It's going to be an exfil?  
Jay: Maybe.  
Samira: Could I go to Istanbul with you?  
Jay: No.  
Samira: Okay, I'd be okay in the hotel alone. I've stayed alone in big hotels. I wouldn't mind staying in Berkeley with Allison, though. The company would be nice.  
Gale takes out his phone. Calls.  
Gale: Hi Allison it's Mike. Jay has to go back to London. Samira thought she might stay a few more days. Any chance you could put her up?  
Gale: She made me ask. I was sure the answer was yes.  
Jay: Let's go check out of the hotel and then you and Samira can drive me to the airport.  
Smaira: Don't you need to check schedules.  
jay: Nah. Getting a ride on a private jet to New York then on to London.  
Samira: Okay.  
Gale: Well let's finish this lunch first. These are great tacos. Then check out and we'll get you to the airport.  
Jay: I'm going to fly out of Oakland. Somebody will be there waiting for me.  


* 

They drive Jay to an out building at the Oakland Airport. A man comes up.  
Man: You Jay?  
Jay: Yeah.  
Man: I'm Fred. I'm gonna get you to New York.  
Jay: Okay. When do you want to leave?  
Fred: Now. They said leave as soon as you get here. Let's go if you're ready.  
Jay: Just need to say good bye.  
Jay: I'll miss you Dumpling.  
Samira: Is this a don't get shot or don't get hanged situation?  
Jay: I'd say it's a don't get caught situation.  
Samira: Don't call me dumpling.  
Jay: I didn't.  
Jay pulls Samira close. Puts his arms around her. Lifts her off her feet. Enfolds her against him. Kisses her slowly. Deeply. Puts her down. Takes her hand. Turns her hand over kisses her palm.  
She backs away a little from him, holds on to his shirt for a few seconds then lets go.  
Samira: Don't get caught, Cowboy.  
Jay: Gotta come back to keep you out of trouble.  
Gale: Hey 007, keep it tight.  
Jay: Yeah, of course. Always.  
Jay picks up his bag: Let's go.  
Jay and the pilot walk out the back door of the building across the tarmac to a sleek silver and blue jet.  
Gale and Samira walk over to a window. Stand watching them.  
Smaira: Can we wait til they take off.  
Gale: Sure.

* 

Gale and Samira get back in the car.  
Samira: What am I doing?  
Gale: The next thing?  
Samira: Yeah the next thing.  
Samira: So lets go see this house with a two bridge view.  
Gale: That's how you measure views here.  
Samira: So what is the most views?  
Gale: Five. Five bridge views are the best in the Berkeley hills. Gotta be pretty high up.  
Samira: What are the five?  
Gale: Dumbarton, San Mateo, Bay, Richmond, San Francisco.  
Samira: Which two for your sister?  
Gale: Bay and the Golden Gate.  
Samira's phone chimes.  
It's a text. An octopus and a heart. And a sad face.  



	12. Cephalopod calling Dumpling from Istanbul

Samira is sitting by a big window looking out to the San Francisco Bay. Morning. A layer of fog across the water.  
Her phone chimes.  
There is a text from Jay.  
Jay: Get the the other phone. I'll text you. Need encryption.  
Samira texts back: 'kay.  
She goes into a bedroom and digs through her suitcase. Gets a different phone. Turns it on. Shakes it. Finds a cord. Plugs it in.  
The phone comes on.  
There is a text from Cephalopod.  
Cephalopod: Hey Dumpling. Landed in Istanbul. Flight okay. 9 pm here. Went by the house before I left. House looks good. Miss you. Friend Hogwarts Owl (H.O.) not here yet. Had to delay leaving. Coming with Overlord. Due in a couple of hours. Yellow Submarine in route.  
Samira as Dumpling types a heart. And a swimmer.  
Samira as Dumpling: Got a pass to swim at big white old no-name hotel. Very fancy. 3 pools, one Olympic. Swimming laps. Heaven. Wish you were here. Allison and I and Gale had breakfast there - emojis three waffles and 2 coffee cups. They are seducing me. Allison has a realtor who is going to show us 3 houses in the hills. 2 bridges views at least.  
Cephalopod: No names, Dumpling.  
Samira typing as Dumpling: It's encrypted.  
Cephalopod: No names.  
Dumpling. K. Sorry. Let me think. How about Windy and Judge-Watcher?  
Cephalopod: Good ones.  
Samira typing as Dumpling: Beautiful here. Fog sitting out on the bay. View always changing. Sitting by big window at Judge-watchers house. Sunset amazing.  
Cephalopod: Could you be happy there?  
Dumpling: Happy wherever you are. What are you doing next.  
Cephalopod: Just waiting for Overlord and Hogwarts Owl. Then get a car. You'd be happy probably a jeep. Then going to the border.  
Dumpling: Is Overlord going. Do I have to be Dumpling?  
Cephalopod: Not sure. Here to smooth us in. Introductions. Help with planning. The body.  
Cephalopod: What do you want to be? How about Pudding.  
Dumpling: No not Pudding. Emoji of clawing woman with scraggy hair and gray skin.  
Cephalopod: Snake? Scorpion?  
Dumpling: Something nice.  
Cephalopod: Fisherman's wife? Pearl diver?  
Cephalopod: Badger? Hogwarts Owl calls you Badger sometimes.  
Dumpling: Okay Badger. You call me Wolverine.  
Cephalopod: Whatever you would like. I like Dumpling.  
Dumpling: Look if this is encrypted, why do we have to use all these names?  
Cephalopod: Just the way we do it. Part of the protocol.  
Dumpling: Do I have to be part of the protocol?  
Cephalopod: Nah. I'm just playing with you. Good to practice it.  
Dumpling: Okay I want to be Wolverine.  
Cephalopod: Okay. You know another name for wolverine is skunk bear.  
Dumpling: It is not.  
Cephalopod: Look it up. Gotta go.  
Dumpling: I'm switching to Wolverine.  
Dumpling: Or maybe skunk bear.  
Dumpling: How much do you love me?  
Cephalopod: As much as a 9 year old loves his train set.  
Cephalopod: How much do you love me?  
Dumpling: Don't. Just here to be entertained.  
She hangs up.

Allison comes in the front door.  
Allison: Nice having you here. I've been lonely.  
Samira: How are you ever able to leave this window. Looking at the Bay fascinates me.


	13. Cephalopod calling Skunk Bear

Phone chimes. Room is dark.  
Samira in bed. Reaches for phone. Looks at phone. Puts in password. Chiming continues. Turns on light next to bed. Picks up second phone.  
Samira: Hello.  
Jay: Hello Dumpling. Are you awake.  
Samira: Now. I am. It's midnight here. You are talking not texting.  
Jay: I know sorry it so late. Just had a few minutes.  
Smaira: What phone are you on.  
Jay: Using a Sat phone now.  
Samira: What's a Sat phone?  
Jay: Satellite phone.  
Samira: Are you still Cephalopod?  
Jay: Yeah. For texting.  
Samira: I'm Wolverine.  
Jay. Cause you bite. Skunk bear is better.  
Samira: Maybe I'll be skunk bear. The name thing, it's like kids playing with the names.  
Jay: It is  
Samira: Where are you  
Jay: At the border. We got the body on its way. Overlord is with the body. We've got the phone. The BBC makes everyone give their password to one person at the BBC. That person can always get into the phone. So we'll know whats in it in a little while.  
Samira: What do you think will be in it.  
Jay: Maybe pictures of who took the crew. Maybe he'll have left a memo.  
Samira: No ransom?  
Jay: Nope not yet.  
Samira: Still haven't seen anything on-line or in the news.  
Jay: Family of cameraman being quiet for now. If you see anything on Internet, text me okay. Or if I don't respond text Overlord.  
Smaira: What number for Overlord?  
Jay: Use the one he gave you when I was in Capetown.  
Samira: How come you are telling me so much?  
Jay: I want to stay in the field. If I tell you what I'm doing I think you are more likely to support that.  
Samira: Yeah. Good plan. Does Overlord know you're talking to me?  
Jay: It was his idea.  
Jay: He has plans for you I think. Gale talked to him about you and the disguises.  
Jay: How were the houses?  
Samira: I could live here. Hate to give up the Mews House Can I say the mews house?  
Jay: Yeah that's okay  
Samira: But it's nice here. Beautiful. Space so much space. And the views. What are you doing next?  
Jay: Hogwarts Owl and I are going across the border. Have contacts now. Smugglers.  
Samira: Why doesn't anyone know where they are?  
Jay: Someone knows - always a trail just need to find the footprints - can't move 5 people around without leaving a trail. Hope they haven't separated them.  
Jay: How are you feeling?  
Samira: I'm okay.  
Jay: You'd tell me if anything was wrong?  
Samira: Yeah. How much do you love me?  
Jay: More than you can ever know.  
Jay: How much do you love me.  
Samira: More than you think.  
Jay: Goodnight Skunk Bear.  
Samira: Goodnight Cephalopod.  
Jay hangs up.


	14. Cephalopod and Hogwarts Owl headed home.

Allison, Gale and Samira are in a cafe in Berkeley on Monterey Street.  
A phone chimes.  
Samira: Mine.  
She puts in her password.  
Samira: A text.  
Cephalopod: Hi Skunk Bear. Midnight here. Got 'em. Cost the BBC a bucket of money but we got 'em. Hogwarts Owl and I going back to Istanbul. Going home commercial. BA flight at 10:00 tomorrow. When are you coming home?  
Wolverine: Can go tomorrow if I can get a flight. Are you sure you're leaving? I was just staying til I knew you were done. Like it here. Windy and Judge-watcher very nice to me. Raining here. Even the rain is nice. Feel at home here.  
Cephalopod: I'm sure. Flight booked. BBC has people here taking care of crew now. Tell you more when I see you. Crew going to hospital in Istanbul for check ups. Cousin okay. One of her guards developed a crush. Wants to marry cousin. Protected her. Seems somewhat mutual. Maybe Stockholm. But never know. Maybe pen pals. Strange things happen with kidnappings. Probably on news in next couple of hours. Will be reported as crew getting lost, cameraman reported as deadly fall. Family will receive compensation. Family agreed to silence. Turks taking credit for finding lost BBC crew. We were never here.   
Wolverine: I'll text you flight times. This phone?  
Cephalopod: This phone til I'm in the air. I'll let you know which phone.  
Wolverine: How much do you love me?  
Cephalopod: More than all the cephalopods in the sea.   
Cephalopod: How much do you love me?   
Wolverine: Enough to let you call me Skunk Bear.

Samira is sitting in front of the window looking out at The Bay again.  
Texting.  
Samira as Wolverine: Hey Cephalopod. British Airways. Tomorrow night. Leaves San Francisco 7:35 pm. Nonstop. Arrives London 2:30 pm.  
Cephalopod: I'll be waiting.  
Wolverine: Better be.  
Wolverine: Wear your boots.  



	15. 4 Women in Burkas

Gale parks in the San Francisco Airport parking garage.  
Samira: You don't have to come in really. They won't let you go far.  
Gale: Sure they will. I have ID.  
Samira: What ID?  
Gale: Diplomatic credentials.  
Samira: Fake?  
Gale: Real actually. Terry that guy is amazing.  
Gale: I'll carry your bag and walk you to gate.  
Samira: Impressive. 

Gale checks Samira's bag. Goes thru screening with her by showing his Diplomatic credentials. Walks her to the gate.  
Her flight is called.  
They hug.  
Gale: You'll tell him you could live here.  
Samira: He'll want to wait til after the baby comes. But I could live here. Those songs. Left my heart. Going to San Francisco flowers in my hair. I get it. It is like it casts a spell and you don't want to leave or you just want to come back. I'll tell him.  
Gale: Okay we can wait til after baby. Sure you don't want to have baby here. Zuckerburg hospital state of the art.  
Smaira: I'll ask him. I'd be okay with that. But his dad, Sammy and Amelia, his sister. They are all there.  
Gale: I'm here.  
Four women dressed in burqas walk past Smaira and Gale. One bumps into Samira. Catches Samira's eye. Says something.  
Samira answers her.  
Gale: What was that?  
She apologized for bumping into me. And said a blessing for the baby.  
Gale: What language? Punjabi?  
Samira: Pashto.  
Gale: Did I know you spoke Pashto?  
Samira: I told you before Sahiwal. Didn't need it for that. Just needed Urdu and Punjabi.   
They call Samira's row.  
Gale: Why do I think of you as a sister?  
Samira: Cause I needed a brother and for awhile all I had was you. And we had fun together. She is wearing the bracelet with the bullet. Holds her wrist up. My favorite piece of jewelry. Next to that horrible 9 carat emerald.  
They both laugh.  
The call last call for Samira's flight.  
Samira: They already boarded first class. I have to go.  
They hug. Gale holds her close. Samira boards the plane. As she walks to the front of the plane. She passes the woman in the burka who spoke to her. Nods. The woman nods back. Speaks to Samira again. Samira answers, smiles and goes on to her first class seat in the front of the plane.

Samira settles in her seat. The flight attendant brings her sparkling water.  
Flight attendant: The flight may be a little chilly. I'll bring you a blanket. They are a little backed-up we are going to be on the runway for about 30 minutes. If there is anything you need let me know.  
Samira: Will we land on time?  
Flight attendant: Probably half hour, hour late. San Francisco notorious for late departures and late arrivals. But B.A. is good about updating the website. It'll be on there. Tell him to keep checking.  
Samira gets out phone.  
Texts: Boarded. Delay 30 minutes. So far. Flight attendant tells me SF notorious for late departures. She said web site usually up to date. Leaving my heart in San Francisco. Well not heart. Heart belongs to you. I like it here. Charm offensive pretty successful. I'll text when we are in the air.


	16. Just take it bird by bird buddy

Jay is sleeping. The clock next to the bed says 4:00. Curtains open. It is dark outside the window.  
The phone buzzes. Stops.  
Jay turns on light. Phone begins buzzing again.  
It's a text.  
Samira: People on plane with guns. Will erase this after I send. They are collecting phones. Contact Terry. Hijacked. Hijackers women in Burkas or dressed as women. Speaking pashto. I ..  
Message ends. Jay calls back it goes to voice mail. Tries again. Nothing. Voice mail. Tries one more time. Tries to text. Not delivered. Calls back.  
Message: This phone is not accepting message or is out of service. 

Jay stands up. Walks back and forth.  
Jay: Fuck fuck fuck.  
Walks into living room. Back into bedroom.  
Kitchen. Takes out sparkling water takes cap off. Starts to take a drink. Throws the bottle across the room. Water flies out. It lands on the floor. He goes in the bathroom, gets a towel and cleans it up.  
Gets different phone. Punches in number. Listens. Hangs up calls again.  
Terry: Yeah, Jay. What?  
Jay: Samira is on a plane that has just been hijacked.  
Terry: Where?  
Jay: San Francisco. Not sure if they took off or are on tarmac. She sent me part of a text. She said the hijackers are women or dressed as women. Have guns.  
Terry; How long ago?  
Jay: Five, ten minutes.  
Terry: Give me 15 minutes.  
Jay: Call Sammy?  
Terry: Wait a little. Nothing he can do yet.  
jay: What about my father?  
Terry: Just wait. You call and tell our pilot to get the plane ready. Take off three hours. Going to the States.  
Jay paces. Takes guns out of safe. Puts them on the bed. Walks back and forth.

Phone vibrates.  
Terry: It's true. There is a plane on the tarmac at SF that has been boarded and is being held. No one knows anything. Still on tarmac. No demands yet. All that I can find out is there are people on the plane with guns. Just happened. 204 people on board. Plane being quarantined. Which means they are moving everything away from it in case they blow it up.  
Jay moans. Puts his hands over his face.  
Jay: Need to get back to the States.  
Terry: Okay. We'll get you back there. I'll go. I'm calling Hassan. You call your dad and Sammy. Call Gale.  
Jay: Okay.  
Terry: Pack for one week. Pack for an operation. They probably won't let us anywhere near the plane but Gale knows people. They owe him for Sahiwal. They owe her for Sahiwal.  
Jay: Okay. Guns? passports?  
Terry: A few of each. Bring a sniper rifle.  
Jay: The Americans would never let me shoot anyone.  
Terry: Well you might have to shoot the Americans if they get in our way.  
Jay: You know I try not to kill people on US soil.  
Terry laughs.  
Jay: She said they were speaking Pashto. They took her phone. Took the sim card out I think.  
Terry: Pick me up at the office. 1 hour. Tell Sammy to meet us at the office 1 hour or meet us at the airport 2 hours.  
Terry: Call Sammy now. Then Gale, see if knows anything. Then let your father know what has happened.  
Jay calls Sammy.  
Sammy: Hey Jay its 4 in the morning. What are we doing?  
Jay: Samira is on a plane that has been hijacked. The plane is probably still on the tarmac in San Francisco.  
Sammy: Okay.  
Jay: She texted me. Text cut off. Said it was 4 women or men dressed as women.  
Sammy: Terry?  
Jay: He knows. He's ordered the plane. Said bring passports. Guns. Dress for work. Wanna go?  
Sammy: Of course.  
Jay: I'm calling Gale then my father.  
Sammy: I'll meet you at the airport.  
Terry says we leave in three hours. If you are going he wants you there in two.  
Sammy: Okay. I have to tell Amelia. Hassan knows?  
Jay: Terry is calling him. Yeah tell Amelia. Samira would want you to.  
Jay calls Gale: Hey Jay. Samira said she'd text you from the plane. She got off fine.  
Jay: Gale, Samira's plane has been hijacked.  
Gale:What? No. I just put her on the plane. Are you sure? How do you know? I just left her, man. I just got home.  
jay: I'm sure. She texted me. Text was cut off. Said it was four women or four men dressed as women in burkas.  
Gale: Shit. I saw them. Four of them together. All in burkas. In black. Before she boarded. One of them spoke to Samira. Bumped into her. Said something Samira said it was a blessing for the baby. Pashto. Samira said the woman spoke Pashto.  
Gale: I can recognize the one who spoke to Samira. I saw her face. Pretty sure the one who bumped into Samira was a woman. Or a pretty good actor.  
Jay: We're coming there. Leave three hours. Still flight will take us more than 12 hours. Need you to be eyes and ears for us. Need contacts when we get there. Who will handle it?  
Gale: Likely will be jurisdictional nightmare. 20 years since 911 no one will remember what they were supposed to do. It's a British plane so Brits will have a say. That will help. Will be a so called Homeland Security Operation which means a clown show. But actually probably FBI will run the show if they can. Likely they have a Ready Team. Depending on who the hijackers are CIA may want to get in on it. TSA will be there. Airport security. Clown show.  
Jay: Stop saying that.  
Gale:What?  
Jay: Clown show. This is not just an operation man. Samira is on that plane  
Gale: Sorry. Man, I feel sick. She's pregnant man.  
Jay: I guess I know that.  
Gale: Sorry, man. I'm upset.  
Jay angry: Well I'm a little upset myself.  
Gale: She was bleeding a little before she left. Didn't want you to know.  
Jay: Great. Not again.  
Jay: Terry ordered the jet. Sammy me Hassan are coming. Terry is coming too. I'm calling my father next.  
Gale: I'll make some calls. They fucking owe her for Sahiwal. We'll get her off the fucking plane. We'll find a way.  
Gale: I'm looking there is nothing on the Internet yet.  
Jay: Only a matter of time. They quarantine a plane someone will tweet it soon. As far as we know they are being held on the tarmac. Terry confirmed it.  
Jay: You know the protocol the British and the Americans have since 911. They won't let them take off. They will blow it up first. And if they do take off the protocol says they can shoot it down. Says they have to shoot it down. To hell with the passengers.  
Gale: Take it easy. We'll find a way to get her off that plane. You know who Anne Lamott is?  
Jay: No.  
Gale: Wait a second. I'm gonna read you something. Allison showed it to me when I was trying to figure out how to move back here.  
Jay: What?  
Gale: Listen. Anne Lamott wrote this.  
Gale reading: “Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report written on birds that he'd had three months to write, which was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books about birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him put his arm around my brother's shoulder, and said, "Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.”  
Gale: Listen man. We are gonna take this bird by bird.  
Jay: Okay. Bird by bird. I get it. Yeah. Thanks. Okay. Gotta call my dad, next.  
Gale: Bird by bird, man. I'll make some calls. Stay in touch. This phone?  
Jay: Yeah. this phone. It's my phone.  
Hangs up.  
Jay calls his father.  
Jay: Father. I am very sorry to wake you.  
Mr. Shah: What's wrong son? Is Samira okay?  
Jay: No sir she is not.  
Mr. Shah: What it is?  
Jay: We believe, we are sure, Samira is on an airplane that has been hijacked. In San Francisco. People with guns on the plane. We know plane is on the ground. Being quarantined. It's a British Airways plane. The Americans are not admitting it yet publicly. Neither are the British. Only a matter of time til someone tweets. She texted me before her phone was taken away. Said it was 4 women or men dressed as women. Said they were speaking Pashto. I called Terry. Terry confirmed it. There is a plane on the ground at San Francisco airport.  
Mr. Shah: Terrorists?  
Jay: Looks like it.  
Mr. Shah: Are you thinking of your mother?  
Jay: Yes sir. Trying not to.  
Mr. Shah musing: How would we ever get through it again?  
Jay: She's alive. At least she was half hour ago. Maybe we can get her off the plane. Maybe some way it will get resolved. Just have to take it step by step, Father.  
Mr. Shah: What is next step son?  
Jay: Terry had them get the plane ready. We are going. Me, Sammy, Hassan. Gale will meet us there.  
Jay's father: Is there anything I can do?  
Jay: Not yet sir.  
Mr. Shah: Where are you staying?  
Jay: Terry's office manager Andrea will arrange things for us I imagine. Do you have her number? Call her if need me and can't get me.  
Mr. Shah: I have her number. But please stay in touch with me son. I know many people. Embassy people. Some MI6 people. I will make some calls. Call me if you can every few hours.  
Jay: Of course father. I will.  
Mr. Shah: Shall I call Yasmin?.  
Jay: Please sir. Yes. Tell her she must say nothing to anyone about the plane, the hijacking, and especially not about Smaira being on the plane.  
Mr. Shah: Yasmin will want to talk to you  
Jay: Tell her I will call her when I can.  
Jay gets a sniper rifle out of the closet. Checks to be sure it is unloaded. Holds it up. Sights down it. Dry fires several times. Throws it on the bed. Goes in the bathroom. Showers. Dresses in fatigues. Boots. Puts on his Robin-hood hat. Puts the feather in it. Looks in the mirror. Salutes himself. Packs his cowboy boots. And the sniper rifle. Leaves the hat on. Takes the elevator to the underground garage carrying his duffel. Gets in the Audi. Drives out of the garage still wearing his Robin Hood hat with the feather.  


* 


	17. Four maybe five hijackers.  Lights on the plane and it is cordonned off.

They are sitting in the cabin of Terry's yellow jet.  
On the table are three bottles. Laphroaig. Heaven's Door and sparkling water. Terry pours heaven's door for Sammy and hassan. Laphroaig for himself. Sparkling water for Jay.  
Jay looks at the sparling water. Shakes his head.  
Jay: You know plain water is fine for me.  
Sammy picks up his glass. To the yellow submarine.  
Hassan says: To the flying banana.  
Terry Sammy and Hassan drink. Jay lifts his glass in salute. Doesn't drink.  
Terry: You are not drinking to my beautiful though frequently insulted plane.  
Jay: My father says it is bad luck to toast with water.  
Terry: It is, but nobody knows that except people like your father. Toast with mine.  
Terry hands Jay his scotch.  
Jay toasts with Terry's scotch: To the Yellow Flying Banana Submarine.  
Takes a drink.  
The others drink again.  
Jay: Do we know anything?  
Terry: Homeland Security letting FBI and multidisciplinary terrorist team run it for now. Special Agent in Charge from San Francisco is a guy named Wilfred Abernathy. They call him Will-do. 50s, Masters Degree in political science. Whole career in FBI. Undergraduate at Yale. Supposed to be a cool head. Respected. Well-liked.  
Jay: You talked to him.  
Terry: Not yet.  
Jay: How long are we in New York.  
Terry: Long enough for clearance and refueling. Switch pilots. We should sleep.  
Jay: Can't sleep.  
Terry: Then lie down and shut your eyes and fucking mediate. Or pray. Whatever it is that you do.

In flight again. Jay sitting head back. Earbuds in listening to something on phone. Legs stretched out. Terry's phone buzzes.  
Terry: Yeah. Hey Gale. You're on speaker. Just left New York  
Jay takes earbuds out. Sits up.  
Gale: Yeah speaker is fine.  
Gale: Old contacts in Clandestine Services and a few in Press. CIA have some information. CIA unwanted in the operation but info leaking. What I have so far from CIA buddies and some contacts in press: They moved everyone and everything away from the plane. Two reasons if hijackers blow it up want no casualties outside plane and 911 protocol is if they try to take off we blow it up.  
Jay groans.  
Gale: They have floodlights on the plane. They've put up a canvas curtain all the way around the plane about 20 yards out. Press knows plane grounded. Trying to keep press in terminal. Some more aggressive reporters sneaking on to tarmac. All on tarmac so far detained, scolded and released. Statement promised in the next hour. FBI San Francisco SAC is leading things right now. Homeland Security will speak. Maybe director of airport operations. All men. They are trying to find a women to speak. It's San Francisco. Also having a problem with drones flying over. FBI say will arrest and prosecute full extent anyone flying the drones. Also threatened to have snipers shoot down drones, but empty threat too fearful hijackers might take it personally and react. There is contact from hijackers but can't get anyone so far to tell me what they've said. All on plane okay. Rumors there is an Air Marshal on the plane. Heard Air Marshal may be a woman. FBI very eager to keep marshal's presence a secret. FBI wants no CIA help. My contacts mostly CIA. Everybody wants in. You have questions for me?  
Jay: They are going to go through the passenger list. The Americans. They will suspect Samira. Her history, her brother. They are gonna look hard at her. She can't take too much scrutiny. Press could be a problem too.  
Gale: You're right. You've got to talk to Terry. Gotta do what we can so they don't focus on her. Motherfucker.  
Jay: Where are you?  
Gale: At the airport. Old friend works here. Went to Berkeley High with her. She's Head of Planning. Makes $175,000 and makes great coffee. If I didn't prefer boys I'd ask her to marry me. Might anyway. Doesn't know anything more than I do right now. Knows less. But has contacts. Been here 10 years. Knows most of the muckety-muck staff. Has nice big office looking out on the runway. The runway where the plane is. We can see the lights and the canvas barrier. And that big old silver plane just sitting there above it all. Hold on a second. Friend motioning me.  
Gale: Friend just got a call - audio and visual monitoring plane picked up gunshot. Single shot. Looks like shot pierced top of economy cabin. Maybe warning. Could be accidental. that's all she got.  
Gale:She says I can use office as much as I wish. Gave me a key. Did I mention she makes great coffee.  
Jay: Can you get any information on the Air Marshall?  
Gale: I'm trying buddy. My friend is going to get me to Head of Airport Operations and Security, guy named Frank Collins. She's knows him well. Says he is a good guy. Ex military police. Not a fan of FBI. She's in a fucking book group with the guy.  
Jay: Thanks. Could she get me in to the Airport Security guy?  
Gale: I'll ask. I'll try  
Gale: Anything else.  
They shake their heads.  
Terry: This phone good?  
Gale: Yeah. This is a good phone. Use it.  
They hang up. 

TV on plane tuned to CNN. No sound. "Breaking News" Banner across bottom of screen. PLANE HIJACKED SAN FRANCISCO AIRPORT. They gather around the TV. Picture of a man in a suit walking up to a microphone. Man at microphone. Terry turns on the sound.  
Man: We will have several brief announcements but will take no questions at this time. I am Wilfred Abernathy, FBI Special Agent in Charge of the San Francisco Office. I have been asked to coordinate this operation for the moment. I will speak briefly and then there will be a brief statements by Arthur Kaddish, from Homeland Security, then Dellum Young, Airport General Manager, then Frank Collins, Airport Operations and Security then Thomas Chatham from British Airways Passenger Services. The California governor wished to be here but has been in Hawaii. He is returning. He is in flight now.  
Special Agent Abernathy: At 8 PM local time four armed people took control of a British Airways jet on the runway as it was preparing to take off. There are 209 people on the plane including two pilots and seven flight attendants. There are 14 children on the plane. On the plane are 113 adult men and 82 adult women. Among them the hijackers. You may have heard there are rumors there is an Air Marshall on the plane. Regrettably there is no Air Marshall the plane. We know of no injuries at this time. We do not know how the hijackers got on the plane. We believe they had tickets and were screened. We are reviewing the passenger lists at this time. The Head of the TSA is not here but is in route and you will hear from him later. Sorry no questions. Mr. Kaddish.  
Hello I'm Arthur Kaddish. Homeland Security. K A D D I S H. We are here as coordinators and overseers. The San Francisco office of the FBI has taken the lead on this and we are here to support them. We are bringing in a multi-agency terrorism team to aid our local FBI agents. They are in route. The President is monitoring the situation. Protocols were put in place after 911, those protocols are being reviewed and will most likely be followed. We will have another press conference in 4 hours and hope to have more information at that time. Mr. Young.  
Shouted questions: Who are the hijackers, Will you blow up the plane if it tries to leave, Do they have guns, box cutters? Questions are ignored.  
Mr. Kaddish steps back and is replaced by Mr. young.  
Hello I'm Dellum Young. D E L L U M Y O U N G. I am San Francisco Airport General Manager. We have put all airport resources at the disposal of the FBI. In general all future statements will come from Homeland Security and the FBI, though I will be available for questions at some point later. Mr. Collins.  
Mr. Young leaves the microphone and is replaced by Frank Collins.  
Hello, I am Frank Collins. C O L L I N S. Head of Operations and Security. I have been here 7 years. We have put our team at the disposal of the FBI. We know the ins and outs of this airport and know the resources here. We arranged for the lights and the cordon that you see around the plane. The plane is under 24 hour audio and visual surveillance. That's all I have for now. Mr. Chetham.  
Frank Collins steps back.  
Mr. Mark Chetham: I am Mark Chetham. C H E T H A M. Head of Passenger Services for British Airways. The President and CEO of British Airways is in route. I wish to express our deepest and most heartfelt concern for all those on the plane and all the family members. We are doing everything possible to assist the American FBI and Homeland Security to resolve this situation safely and quickly. We have set up private areas for the family members here at the San Francisco Airport and want to direct all family members there. Any information desk can direct family members to the area we have set up. The same is being set up at Heathrow. We will support the families in every way possible and pay for hotel rooms and offer food vouchers. Phone numbers for family are available on our website, but our general numbers can be called and family members will be quickly redirected for assistance. Mr. Abernathy.  
Terry turns down the sound. Puts on captions.  
Jay: When they go through that passenger list they are going to land on Samira.

Jays phone vibrates.  
Jay: Father.  
Jay listens intently. The others turn toward Jay and watch him.  
Jay: Okay. Thank you father.  
Jay hands the phone to Terry.  
Terry listens intently: Okay. Okay. Yeah. I know him. Not well. Thank you.  
Terry motions for a pen. Sammy hands him one and a paper napkin.  
Terry writes down a number. Hangs up.  
Terry: Jay's father has a contact in MI6, Hugh Mansfield. Mansfield is willing to talk to me. Us. He is near retirement. I know him, not well. I hadn't thought of him. The FBI agent in charge Abernathy called him for recommendations on who to link up with at MI6. Your father told Mansfield his pregnant daughter-in-law is on the plane. Agreed to the call because of that.  
Jay: Now?  
Terry: Now.  
Hassan: It's who you know, man. And who they know.  
Terry punches in a number. Identifies himself.  
Terry: Yay. Jah Shah. Samira. Married in July. Pregnant. Flying home after visiting a friend in San Francisco.  
Terry looks at Jay: How many months?  
Jay: Why? Okay six months. She's six months.  
Terry: What can you tell us? May I put you on speaker.  
Terry nods: Thanks.  
Terry puts the call on speaker.  
Hugh: They think there are four hijackers. But may be five. Probably one female and three or four males. Three males may be teens. Fifth likely a man in his forties. Four got on together dressed as women. All in burkas. No information on how they got thru security. Man may have been dressed as a businessman with a briefcase. The guns were already on the plane. Maybe put there by a cleaning crew though not sure when. Guns were hidden in seats. Stitched in. Fabric torn to remove guns. There is a woman air marshal who kept a phone. She is being very careful. Hijackers have made no demands. Haven't hurt anyone. Some FBI think may have been a dry run that went way better than they expected. That they were supposed to see how far they could get, expecting to be stopped and arrested. Looking for vulnerabilities. Had no plan for actually taking plane.  
Sammy: The dog that caught the car.  
Hugh: I'm sorry I didn't get quite get that.  
Terry: Nothing. Please go on.  
Jay has begun pacing.  
Hugh: As I said what FBI guess right now is they don't know what to do now. Never planned to get that far. Suspect they had legal team ready to represent them when they were caught and taken into custody.  
Jay: Well they may have expected to get caught but there were guns on the plane.  
Hugh: Guns may have been part of test. Would they be discovered or not. This must stay with you. There is an air marshall a woman an American on the plane. Was on vacation. Identified herself getting on to BA staff and was upgraded to first class. Hijackers would not expect an air marshal a woman in first class. She doesn't have a gun but had two phones and kept one. Air marshal is getting information out. She has given the phone she kept to a pregnant woman passenger who slipped it into her underwear. The woman passenger is Muslim and the woman hijacker is being deferential and protective of this passenger. The woman told the air marshall she was 6 months pregnant. That was why I asked. The woman who has the air marshals phone may be your wife. How many 6 month pregnant Muslim women are on the plane do you think?  
Jay: Do they suspect the pregnant woman at all?  
Hugh: No. As near as I can tell, FBI accepts that the pregnant woman is working with the air marshal and they eliminated her as a being one of the terrorists.  
Terry: The danger now is the press. When the press gets the passenger list, someone is going to read her name and put it together. The longer this goes on the more likely the press will start focusing on Samira if there is nothing to eclipse here. She makes good copy. 

*


	18. Samira and the Air Marshal

Terry's plane lands at Oakland. There is a car waiting for them. Big SUV. The driver gets out. Sammy gets in the driver's seat. Driver stands at the curb.  
Sammy to driver: You need to be dropped?  
Driver: Got a ride waiting. Thanks.  
Driver: Call us when you are done with it.  
Terry: Will do.  
Sammy: Where to?  
Terry: Airport. Jay call Gale. Get us an update. We want to meet with his Planner.  
Terry: How you doing man?  
Jay:Little better. Feel closer. Now. Better. Yeah.  
Terry: Okay.  
Jay calls Gale.  
Jay: Gale. We're here. Coming to you. Will your friend let us come to her office and talk to her.  
Gale: Hold on.  
Gale mutes the call.  
Gale: You Terry Sammy and Hassan?  
Terry: That's the team.  
Gale: She says okay.  


Jay is wearing his Robin Hood hat, fatigues and military boots. All wearing fatigues.  
Terry: Need to get out of the fatigues for now. Don't want to be in the airport looking like small army. Better to go casual, look local, jeans, t-shirts. Change clothes. Jay keep the Peter Pan hat.  
Jay: It's my Robin Hood hat.  
Terry: Or your cowboy boots. One or the other. Don't want to overwhelm San Francisco.  
Jay: Hat for now.  
Terry calls Andrea: Where'd you put us.  
Andrea: Aloft Airport Hotel. Got each of you a room. Suite for you Terry. Big enough for meetings. Has a small pool, bar, pool table, work out room. You'll be comfortable there. Not the Ritz but good enough amenities and nice shoreline where Jay and Hassan and Sammy can run. Modern. Shuttle to the airport. Will save you parking if you want..  
Terry: Good job as usual.  
Andrea: Any word?  
Terry: There is an air marshal on the plane and the marshal may be sitting next to Samira. We have some contacts now. Going to change out of the army look and go a bit more San Francisco.  
Andrea: Flowers in your hair?  
Terry: Jay has his Robin Hood hat with the feather. Far as we are willing to go.  
Terry: We will check in. Then go to the airport. Use this phone if you need me.  
Terry: Couldn't do this without you, Andrea. Do you need a raise?  
Andrea: No sir. You gave me one last summer.  
They check in. Jay goes to his room. Puts guns and passports in safe. Calls his father. Gives him the information they got from Gale and gives him the name of the hotel.  
Jay calls his sister.  
Jay: Hey sis. I'm here in San Francisco. We're at a hotel called Aloft. Registered under Jay Shah. Samira okay as far as we know. I'll call when I can. If you have time, might go out and see father. I know he is thinking about mother's death.  
Yasmin: How about you? Are you thinking about mother?  
Jay: Tell you what I told him. Trying not to.  
Yasmin: I'll go out and take the kids.  
Jay: That would be good. Thanks.  
They hang up.  
Jay changes into jeans and t-shirt. Levi jacket. Sneakers. Jay puts his hat back on. Goes to the lobby. The others are there waiting. All in jeans and t-shirts. Except Terry. Terry's in a navy blazer, Italian loafers, white shirt. Beige chinos.  
Terry: Shuttle?  
Jay: Yeah let's take the shuttle. If we want the car someone can come back for it.  
They get the shuttle.  
Jay calls Gale from the shuttle.  
Jay: We are at the Aloft. Taking shuttle to you.  
Gale: I'll meet you out front. Terminal 1.  
Jay: Okay. We were dressed army. We're in jeans now. Except Terry. He's rich guy casual.  
Gale: Yeah, okay.  
Jay: I have my hat. And my feather.  
Gale: Feather's good. Okay.  
They hang up.  


* 

The shuttle drops them. Gale is waiting.  
They follow Gale thru the terminal. Finally come to a sign Planning and Design Management.  
They go thru a waiting room to the back. Floor to ceiling windows across one side. Male receptionist greets them.  
A woman early fifties comes out. Hi I'm Wendy. I'll try to help.  
Gale introduces them: This guy in the hat is Jay. His pregnant wife is on the plane. The guy with the ponytail is Sammy. Jay's best friend. The ruggedly handsome guy is Hassan. His sister is Jay's wife. And this guy is their boss. Sir Terry Thorne. Owns Global Security London. Big shot in the UK.  
Wendy: Welcome. I'll help any way I can. So sorry to hear your wife, your sister’s on that plane.  
Wendy picks up her phone.  
Wendy: Jason hold my calls for the next hour or so.  
Wendy walks back to her floor to ceiling windows. Out a ways from the window is a grey canvas 7 foot barrier surrounding a big silver plane. Nothing else around it. Fire trucks. Some guys with guns in fatigues off a ways outside the canvas barrier. Milling around. Rifles slung over shoulders. hand guns holstered. 5-6 jeeps. 6-7 ambulances. The plane is clearly visible above the barrier.  
Wendy: Not much to see. Not much has changed. The hijackers have allowed maintenance out to clear the toilets and to deliver food. That's all I know. Gale knows a lot more than I do.  
Wendy: I can call Frank Collins for you. I'm sure he has his hands full but I'll try to get him to come down here for a few minutes.  
She picks up the phone: This is Wendy Shaffer. Is Frank around? Yeah, I know. Could you tell him I'm on the phone.  
Wendy covering the phone: I have his personal cell but don't want to interrupt him if it's a bad time.  
Wendy: Frank I know you are swamped. Yeah no I didn't want to interrupt by using your cell. But I need a favor. Could you walk down here. I need 15 minutes. Personal favor.  
Wendy: 15 minutes I promise. I'll make you coffee.  
Wendy nods. Smiles. Hangs up.  
Wendy: He's coming.  
Wendy: Anyone else want coffee?  
Gale: Wendy makes great coffee. Though I don't know whose is better Wendy's or Jay's. Jay was taught to cook by a French chef. His coffee always has a kind of a French taste to it, but Wendy worked at Peet's when we were in high school.  
Wendy to Jay: Be my guest.  
Jay makes the coffee.  
Frank comes in. Wendy hands him coffee.  
Wendy to Frank: So this fellow is Mike Gale. I went to Berkeley High with him. These are friends of his.  
She points.  
Wendy: This is Jay, Hassan, Sammy and Lord Thorne.  
Wendy: I'll save the details for later if we have time except to say that one of the women on the plane is Jay's wife. She is four months pregnant. And she is Hassan's sister.  
Frank shakes hands with Jay and Hassan. Then with Terry.  
Frank: I've heard of you. Lord Thorne. Global right?  
Terry: Terry's fine. Not a lord. Only a recent "sir". I'm their boss. Yeah, we're Global London.  
Sammy: Jay's friend.  
They shake.  
Frank: Okay.  
Franks pulls out a cell phone and dials a number.  
Frank: Will can you take a break. I'm over in Planning. I can promise you a good cup of coffee if you come down. It will be worth it. You know you want to get out of there. Sure 15 minutes is fine. Yeah it's on the map. Call if you get lost. I'll send out a search team.  
Jay makes more coffee puts it in a thermos pitcher. Wendy makes a pot.  
Wendy: You try mine, I'll try yours.  
Will Abernathy walks in.  
.  
Introductions again.  
Will: Sir Thorne? Global London, yeah? I hear about your operations from time to time.  
Terry: Terry is fine. I guess those are the ones we messed-up. Not supposed to hear about them.  
Will: Insiders talk. Was that your deal in Cape Town.  
Terry: These guys.  
Will: And was there more to the BBC thing?  
Terry: I seem to remember that Sammy and Jay were in Turkey at the border with Iran quite recently. And Jay does speak Farsi.  
Terry: Okay. Here's the deal. Jay's wife, Hassan's sister, is on that plane. She is four months pregnant. Jay will do just about anything to get her off that plane. We all will.  
Will: Okay. I know there is a woman 4 months pregnant on the plane. Don't have a lot of time here. You want to ask me questions or you want me to tell you what I know.  
Terry: How about a status report and then we'll ask questions.  
Will: They've now been on the plane for about 18 hours. Passengers are tired and cranky. One child is getting sick. Probably a fever. We are trying to get them to let the women and kids off. There are three adults and three kids on the plane with Israeli passports. They offered to let your wife get off and an old Muslim man. We think they are the only two Muslims on the plane. Your wife refused to get off til they let all the women off and the kids. Including the two Israeli women and their kids. They won't let the two Israeli women and their kids off. It's a stalemate.  
Jay: Let me talk to her.  
Will: Maybe could find a way to do that.  
Jay: How are you talking to them?  
Will: We have an air marshall on the plane. A woman. We know there are rumors there's an air marshall on the plane and we have denied it. Imagine that. The FBI lying. She is sitting next to your wife and the marshal manged to hide a phone -- with your wife's help. Marshal had two phones. Surrendered one. Her personal phone. Kept her marshal phone. Your wife has the phone in her underwear. Our air marshall calls us when she can and and your wife keeps watch. She is some girl your wife.  
Jay smiles: Yes, she is.  
Frank: They have food and water. Toilets are cleared. Air circulation okay. The hijackers are pretty relaxed about letting us provide for the passengers. Maintenance. Supplies.  
Will: We think they don't want to hurt anyone. We don't think they themselves want anything now but to get away. Safe passage and disappear. They can't think of a way to get safe passage and neither can we. There is another factor, the people on the plane seem decent enough for hijackers, but they have someone outside the plane on the phone with them that we think wants them to blow themselves and the plane and the passengers up. Kind of like Mumbai. Some outside handlers. Want to use the woman and the teens. The fifth person we don't have a picture of. He's in the back of the plane. He hasn't been up to first class. The marshal hasn't seen him but she hears him telling the hijackers what to do and he and the woman hijacker argue. The passengers seem to be getting restless. There are a couple of young Coast Guard guys on there. They may try to overpower the hijackers. Lately in hijackings passengers take action pretty often.  
Jay: Have they asked to take off?  
Will: At first they did. Wanted to go to Pakistan. Obvious that wasn't planned. No way they could fly to Pakistan. That was our first hint they were improvising. That maybe they never planned to get inside the plane. When they learned that was impossible they dropped it. We told them we wouldn't let them take off. Hasn't been mentioned for awhile.  
Jay: Could you get them to Mexico or somewhere in Central America. El Salvador say. Could they could be flown there, be met and then allowed to slip quietly away?  
Will: We are pretty sure the hijacker woman won't allow the plane to be blown up if she can prevent it as long as your wife is on the plane. She and the man in the back seem to have equal power over the teens but they are bickering. The woman hijacker seems to have an attachment to your wife. Maybe cause of the pregnancy. Or because she is Muslim. The hijacker goes out of her way to check on your wife and to talk to her in Pashto.  
Gale: When Samira boarded, there were four women in burkas. They looked like four women. Maybe three of them were the teen boys. Not sure now. One of them I'm sure was a woman that one bumped into Samira. Apologized and gave some blessing to Samira and the baby. In Pashto. It sounded sincere. Samira thanked her. I'd recognize the woman. I saw her face clearly.  
Will: We are of two minds about getting your wife off the plane. The air marshall needs her. The two of them are working together. And we think her being there makes the other passengers safer.  
Jay: Can't you give the hijackers safe passage somehow and end it.  
Will: We are trying to think of a way .  
Will: We are willing to let them go if we can get the passengers.  
Will: We don't know who they would trust. We don't really know who they are. And we can't get a bead on the phone that is calling them. We are scanning. In Mumbai they finally got the signal and could listen in to the calls the handlers were making to the guys in the hotels. They could hear clearly what the handlers were telling the boys to do. It didn't help much there. But we are trying everything to listen in on those calls. The caller may be switching phones too fast for us. The guy or guys outside the plane on the phone are more dangerous right now than the hijackers. Terry: So the problem is getting them safe passage.  
Will: And right now we would really like to start getting some of the people off the plane.  
Jay: I could tell my wife to get off the plane. To take the offer.  
Will: Would she listen to you.?  
Jay: Some chance she would. I guess I should tell you though that she refused to have anything about obedience in the vows when we got married.  



	19. Meeting FBI SAC  & Head of British AIr Arrive

Will: It's a clown-show in the so-called command center but I'd probably have to get you in there to talk to her. For now they are letting me run this my way. The Homeland guy is an asshole but he is staying out of my way for now. But they could take me off lead anytime and have someone else run it. The Homeland guy is some political appointee. I think he was the CEO of a tennis federation or something Don't really know. If we are ever attacked by tennis playing taliban I think he might be able to help. I have an assistant, was a beauty queen in early twenties, she is managing him for me right now.  
Jay: So how does it work with the phone and the marshal.  
Will: She has the phone on vibrate. No sound. Your wife feels the vibration. As soon as possible gives the phone to our marshal - Jessica. And she calls us. Your wife watches, creates some distraction. Gets in the aisle.  
Jay: So you call the phone, Jessica calls back and she hands the phone to my wife. And I tell Samira to get off the fucking plane.  
Will: We could try it. Risky. Jess could create a distraction. We should plan it out before we call.  
Terry: I don't think Samira would leave the Israeli women and their kids on the plane.  
Will: Would she get off if we could get them to give us one of the Israeli women.  
Jay shakes his head: She's a whole hog and don't forget the postage girl.  
Hassan nods: She is.  
Will looks at Jay blankly: That makes no sense to me.  
Terry: Ignore things he says. His father studied mystics like Gurdjieff and Ouspensky.  
Will shakes his head.  
Will: Doesn't make it any clearer.  
Will: Okay we've got a hijacker who has formed an attachment to your wife. Offered to let her get off the plane. But stale-mated when your wife wanted all the women to get off. So feels like possibility of a negotiation. We could up the stakes.  
Will: What if your wife's pregnancy were in jeopardy. Say she was bleeding or having contractions. She wouldn't leave without the Israelis, would the hijacker give in to protect your wife's baby?  
Terry: Feels like they would to me.  
Gale: She's a good actress.  
Jay gives Gale a warning look.  
Gale: I mean she's told me she's interested in Little Theater. And she was bleeding a little when she left. Think she might have sent an e-mail to her London doctor.  
Will: Thinking out loud here. We call our marshall. We have her tell Samira to say she is having contractions or bleeding or both. We have Samira ask to call Jay. Let's assume the hijacker will let her call Jay. Jay you tell her to get off the plane. She will insist on the Israelis. You two argue. We are going to bet the kidnapper relents. She can keep all the men including the Israeli guy. There is a kid getting sick - letting the kids and the women off will be fewer for them to manage, fewer breathing the air, eating and using the toilets. Sometime before that we offer them El Salvador or some place. We need an offer of safe passage.  
Jay: If Samira said she'd leave if they'd left the women and kids go, she'd leave. Kids and women. How many is that. All women or just the women with the kids.  
Will: Don't have that number. I'll get somebody on that.  
Will's phone rings: The head of BA is here.  
Terry: I know him. I'll go talk to him. Where is he?  
Will: He's coming up to command center. Let's go up there now.  
Terry: Thanks Wendy.  
Will: I think it will work better if I just take Jay and Terry.  
Terry: Hassan you and Sammy and Gale stay here with Wendy.  
Gale: Sure okay.  
Hassan. I'd like to go. It's my sister. She might listen to me if she won't listen to Jay.  
Will shrugs: Okay. 

They walk into a large room, 25 men and women phones papers low buzz. Soft voices and machine hum. Computers. Three big screens one with the plane showing. A second screen with an x ray like image showing the inside of the plane and the passengers in red heat signatures. A third showing CNN.  
Terry: Love your technology man. You Americans. Fast set up. Got the best. Chinese trying hard to catch you. Steal everything they can.  
Will walks over to Secretary Kaddish.  
Will: Where is the BA guy?  
Kaddish points to a man in a Saville suit standing, staring out the window at the plane.  
Kaddish: Who are they?  
Will: Some security people from BA  
Kaddish: What's with the hat?  
Jay: Good luck hat.  
Kaddish looks at Jay: Shouldn't have the hat in here. Secure area.  
Will: It's okay. I'll be responsible for the hat. Always like to have at least one good luck hat on hijacking.  
Will winks at Jay.  
The man in the suit turns toward Terry:  
Man in the suit: Terry good to see you.  
Terry walks to the man. They shake.  
Terry: Alex.  
Terry: This is Will he's FBI, running the show here. We are lucky to have him. Doing a good job.  
Will: Will Abernathy.  
Offers his hand to the man. They shake.  
The man: Alexander Townsend Dunham   
Terry: Lord Rakfield to his friends.  
Dunham: Alex is fine. Didn't know you were here Terry. Good to see a friendly face.  
Will looks questioningly at Terry.  
Terry gives a sheepish smile.  
Terry: Can we speak privately for a moment.  
Dunham: Of course.  
They walk back out of the room  
Terry: One of my guys has a pregnant wife on that plane. We flew in a couple of hours ago. Afraid we said you sent us.  
Dunham laughs: No problem. I'll say I sent you. Probably should have sent you. How's this Abernathy guy.  
Terry: He's good. He's good. We can work with him.  
Dunham: How about Kaddish? Feels a little like a buffoon.  
Terry: He's a political hack. Some friend of the president. Used to run some tennis organization. He's a work-around.  
Dunham: Okay.  
Terry: Let me get Abernathy. We are cooking up a way to get the women and kids off,.  
Terry leans in the door.  
Terry: Will, Jay want to step out here for a minute?  
Will and Jay head for the door. Kaddish follows.  
A beautiful woman in a navy skirt, pale silk blouse wearing a shoulder holster with a gun in it follows Kaddish out.  
Will: Hey McKenzie. Always so very FBI chic.  
Woman winks at Will.  
Will: Secretary Kaddish, you need to stay in the command center. They look to you for leadership. One of us has got to be in there monitoring all the time. Can't have us both out of the room. If you need me, send someone out. Send McKenzie out. I want to brief Lord Rakfield here.  
McKenzie to Kaddish: I think it means a lot that the Homeland Security Secretary has taken the time to be here.  
Kaddish looks disappointed.  
Will: McKenzie is right, sir. You inspire the people in there.  
Kaddish preens a little.  
Kaddish: Okay. You could come in and we could brief him together.  
Will: Too much noise, too much going on in there, too many distractions. I know they look to you to keep things under control.  
Kaddish: Yeah. Okay.  
McKenzie winks again at Will. Kaddish doesn't see the wink. McKenzie takes Kaddish's arm and walks him back into the room.


	20. GETTING PRESIDENTIAL APPROVAL  SUITORS FOR MACkENZIE

Will, Frank, Alex, Gale, Hassan, Terry and Sammy are all sitting around an airport office that looks out at the plane. Jay is standing looking out the window. There are several cell phones on the desk. Jay has taken off his hat. I tis sitting on the desk next to the phones. Two TV screens are on the wall. One has the plane. The other CNN. There are cups strewn around on the desk and tables. The door to the office is closed.  
Will: We have to get presidential approval. Kaddish can get that for us. Glad we have found a use for him. McKenzie will shepard him through it. Likely he is going to want jet escorts. Could leave off five miles after they clear the Texas coast. Everybody on the plane besides the hijackers has to be a volunteer. If the people on the plane won't volunteer, we'll bring in some people.  
Hassan: I'll go. Maybe they'd give us a day or two there. Man those old cars there are amazing.  
Gale: Hell I'll go. I love Havana.  
Alex: Yeah. If Gale and Hassan want to go, I'll say they are from BA and I want them there. You Muslim Hassan?  
Hassan: Oh yeah.  
Alex: Would they trust you?  
Hassan: Kind of of lapsed but trust? Maybe.  
Will: Hassan, how are your language skills?  
Hassan: Same as Samira's. Urdu, Pashto, Punjabi. No Arabic.  
Will: Okay. I man need you.  
Hassan: Whatever you need, man.  
Terry: That McKenzie. I'd like to steal her from you,Will. Not sure whether to offer her a job or a weekend in Southern France. McKenzie her first name or her last name?   
Will: Mary Margret McKenzie. And there is no finer girl in all the FBI.   
Terry: A good Catholic girl then.   
Will: That she is.But for hiring her,doubt you could afford her. I mean job-wise.  
Terry: I can be pretty generous.  
Jay turns from the window.  
Jay: Terry is still looking for the right girl.  
Terry: Job or chateau. Tough choice.  
Jay: No fraternization, remember? I recommend the chateau.  
Will: We'll get the women and kids off. If the hijackers won't go to Cuba by themselves, we have to sell 25 passengers on volunteering. And the pilots, same, volunteer or we get some FBI guys or military guys to go. Some of us have to go out to the plane to talk to the passengers face to face.  
Terry: Let me say it back to you. Step by Step. We've dangled the bait for sweet little Zala. Money, A million fot the sick kid and mom, then all the women and kids and they get the other four million . Money in hundred dollar bills and in briefcases, one million in each and safe passage to an acceptable place. We get Samira to up the ante speed things up with a medical emergency, baby in danger. We try to get our gal hijacker and her pals to go with just our two pilots and maybe a flight attendant. If she refuses then we call for volunteers. We send in Hassan and Gale if extra volunteers are needed. Pull some FBI guys in if needed.  
Hassan: Correct.  
Terry: No moms, no kids. We get the moms and kids off then the women. Get the Israelis off. Samira with them. Any elderly men, any men with medical issues. Maybe our Coast Guard boys will volunteer. Maybe get them to coordinate the male volunteers for the Cuba leg. Or let Zala pick. But all women and kids off. Sick kid and his mom off first. Jam phone lines so they can't talk to the guy who wants to blow-up the plane. We use the radio to talk to Zala. We hurry things up by getting Samira to have a medical crisis. We go out tell the passengers that the plane with the hijackers is being flown to Cuba and that we need 20 men to go with them. We get the women and kids off Samira will likely insist on going last. We stay on the plane until all the women are off. If we jam the phone lines our phones won't work either - we'll only have the pilot radio, but we can do use that.  
Terry: The Coast Guard boys will volunteer. There's a fireman and a Stockton cop on there. They are both with their wives so wifes may want to stay. But we'll hope for the best. They'll probably be willing. We've got passenger lists now and on most of them we've got occupations.  
Will: Okay. We gotta go out there. Gotta get Zala to let us on to talk to the passengers. You willing to go out there Alex? I'll go or I'll see if McKenzie wants the honor. She deserves some fun after babysitting that moron all day.  
Gale: Uh Will. How long have you been in San Francisco.  
Will: 4 years  
Gale: You'll never get away with just asking men to volunteer. You are going to have to ask for people to volunteer - let women volunteer too or you'll never hear the end of it. This is fucking San Francisco.  
Frank: Let both men and women volunteer because we want Will here to stay in San Francisco so we have to be PC. But we hope because we are not really PC it will just be the men. Will laughing: Man. Yeah, you're right. Okay. I'll go out or send McKenzie and ask for volunteers - people who would be willing to be hostages to Cuba - insurance to Cuba. .  
A knock on the door.  
Will: Yeah.  
McKenzie peeks in.  
Will: Come on in Mac. She is the one who runs the department. I'm just a figurehead.  
McKenzie laughs: Yeah sure. Okay. We got you safe passage. President approves. Secretary of State on board. Thrilled. No buildings destroyed, no planes blown up, no dead Americans, no dead English. They fly from here to Havana. Across the southwest. Out over Texas. 6 jet fighters F-22s escort them. They deviate from the agreed-to course, they go off course one inch, one centimeter without a reason, without permission from us, the fighters can shoot them down. Volunteers have to all be told the risk. Pilots have to volunteer, if they don't want to do it we get our own guys, military volunteers. And the president want to know if there can be a live TV feed. He thinks it would get great ratings. He thinks ratings would beat the OJ chase. He wants FOX news to get an exclusive feed. Wants you Will give permission to imbed a FOX reporter on board the plane. President has already begin tweeting that he is getting this handled. br /> Will: I don't know whether to laugh or kill myself.  
McKenzie: I told him we'd discuss it. For the live feed, I said I thought they would be flying too high, but Will if you want to keep your cushy San Francisco posting and not be sent to Fairbanks Alaska, I'd say if it is possible you better get a live feed on the plane. Could a satellite send a feed? And he'd like Cuba to allow our press in to see the landing and the hijackers disembark and see our plane take off again. He is salivating at the ratings. He plans to live tweet throughout.  
Will stands, walks out of the room. Outside he can be heard saying Motherfucker, motherfucker, motherfucker, shit, shit, fuck damn fuck asshole. He comes back in.  
Will: As you know we at the FBI do not use obscene language. We are careful about our language.  
Will: Tell that motherfucker Secretary Kaddish to tell the president, of course. We'll see what we can do.  
McKenzie laughs: I'll tell Secretary Kaddish you'll handle it. Live feed. Or at least film.  
Dunham: My guys are good. My pilots will volunteer. Most are ex-RAF. They'll do it. I'll bet $50.00.  
Will: $50? I expected a bigger bet from a lord.  
Alex: I didn't want to stress you financially. How about $1000?  
Will: Nah I think your pilots will do it. No bet.  
McKenzie: Per Kaddish the president says wants he wants the volunteers who go to Cuba to be portrayed as heroes and he wants them to come to the White House when they get back. He wants you to come too Lord Rakfield Likes the idea of a visit from a lord. And likes the notion of pilots and passengers as heroes saving innocent women and children and the elderly and the infirm.  
Alex: Alex is fine Ms. Mckenzie.  
Mckenzie: Please call me Mac.  
Alex: It would be my pleasure.  
He bends from the waist takes her hand.  
Makenise: Don't you dare kiss my hand.  
Alex: Of course not.  
He straightens up.  
Terry: Alex, I'm going to try to hire her or maybe marry her.  
McKenzie: What is wrong with you two? Don't you know anything about sexual harassment?  
Alex. You can teach us.  
Terry and Alex laugh.  
Will: Sorry, Mac. We'll deport them soon.  
Terry: I'm opening an office here.  
McKenzie: To be with me?  
Terry: No. It was already planned. Just serendipity. But I would have. For you I mean.  
Dunham: But I have planes.  
Terry: I have a plane.  
Dunham: One small plane. Yellow. A small yellow plane. I have a fleet of planes.  
Terry: I have a small private army and I sometimes carry a gun.  
Alex: I'm a lord.  
Terry: Got me there. I'm just a knight, sworn to serve m'lord.  
Dunham: I have a castle.  
Terry: A ratty old castle in constant need of repair that takes all your money. I have more money cause I have a modern penthouse.  
Dunham:True. He is richer but no castle.  
They are both laughing.  
Jay: Listen you two my pregnant wife is out there trapped on that plane. Could we stay focused.  
Terry: We are going to have her off that plane within the next couple hours.  
Will: Okay. Let's do this.  
Will: Okay Mac. Someone is going out there to talk to the people on that plane. And persuade 25 men to go to Cuba. You been babysitting all day. Wanna do something more interesting?  
Mac: Yeah I'd like to do it. I'll not only ask for volunteers, I'll even volunteer to go to Cuba myself. I wouldn't mind going to Cuba - when Obama was in, I planned to go there for a couple weeks. Would like to see it. You do owe me for babysitting that buffoon .  
Gale: I'll go Cuba. I said that. I meant it.  
Hassan: I meant it too.  
Will: Okay MacKenzie, Alex and Frank go out to the plane. Do your thing . Hassan you better go to if you are willing.  
Hassan : Yeah of course.  
Jay: Get her to get off that plane man.  
Hassan: I will Jay. You know I will.  
Frank: Want the TSA guy to go out with us ?  
Will: Hell no. Those TSA assholes caused all this by their half-assed screening. They strip search old grannies and let three teenage boys in burkas on a plane. No they are not going to be part of this.


	21. Cuba and Money An Offer can't refuse

Will, Terry, Jay, Alex, Hassan and Frank are sitting in a small office next to the command center.  
Will is on the phone. He hangs up. Smiles.  
Will: Cuba. God bless Cuba. Hearing losses or not. Cuba will take them. Want to do us a favor. Complicated. Enough fuel. Non-stop to Havana. Okay. Jay let's hope you can do your thing with your honey. And fast enough that our Coast Guards won't take matters in their own hands.  
Terry: So how do want to do this?  
Alex: I would like to keep my plane.  
Will: Cubans want trade. Want a relaxation of trade embargo. Will settle for an announcement that talks will reopen. Easy for them. Okay we need to talk to the hijackers. They use the pilots radio to call the air controllers. We have someone there. They call us every hour or so.  
Will's phone buzzes.  
Will: Yeah. Okay keep em on. Tell them that we are arranging safe passage and it looks like Cuba will take them.  
Terry listens.  
Terry: Yeah okay. Pretty sure we can do that. Are the passengers okay?  
Terry listens: How bad? Okay. We'll see if we can find a doctor who will go on but we are going to try to get the women and kids of. Ask them to call us back in ten minutes.  
Terry: Okay. Here we go. We can offer the safe passage. What we want is to leave the men on . Ask that the plane be returned with the men and our pilots. What does Cuba get? talks. Publicity American and Britain embarrassed, bested. A flash back to what could have been a 911. A reminder. Cubans get to be the good guys. The sky pirates walk away with big reputations and a couple of bucks. Russia's thanks Cuba for embarrassing the Brits and the Yankees. Middle East thanks Cuba for embarrassing anyone. Great Satin embarrassed airports not safe. Okay let's go up to the tower. We need to make them an offer they can't refuse.

Frank, Jay, Terry, Will, Alex and Hassan are in the control tower.  
We've dedicated a controller to this. This is Bill. They'll call him.  
Bill nods to Frank: Got em. It's the woman.  
Bill: FBI agent Abernathy would like to speak to you ma'am.  
Will: Hello, I'm Will. How are things going out there. Everybody okay.  
Woman Hijacker: It's okay. We have a sick boy. We would like a doctor to come.  
Will: Okay. We will see if we can find a doctor to come out there. It would be safer if you let the boy and his mother get off the plane,  
Woman Hijacker: I can't do that.  
Will: Sure you can.  
Woman: No.  
Will: We have arranged safe passage for you. Cuba will accept you. Are the pilots okay? Not hurt? They can fly you. We are working on clearances for you as I speak.  
Woman: We want the money too.  
Will: Yes the money. We can arrange that. British Airlines will pay the money. We have the president here. He can tell you. Do you want to speak to him?  
Woman: No. We just want the money and to leave. We don't want to hurt anyone.  
Will: How about this? You release the little boy and his mother and we'll give you the first million.  
Woman: Maybe give us the first million and then we'll release the boy. I need to talk to the others.  
Okay. Why don't you talk to the others. We have the money here. We can send it up right away.  
Woman: American dollars.  
Will: Of course. We have $100s - it will fit in a briefcase. $1 million. Waiting here.  
Will: Can you give me your name?  
Woman: No.  
Wil: Well if you don't want us to have your name can you give us a name to call you?  
Woman hijacker: You may call me Zala.  
Will: Z A L A? Is that right. Zola. Woman annoyed: Yes. Zara. Will: Okay, Zala. We will give you a million dollars and you let the boy off the plane. And his mother.  
Will: But we won't let you leave the airport. We want all the women and children off the plane. You can take the men to Havana with you.  
Zala: We want the money. The other 4 million. We want all the money before we leave.  
Will: When the women are off the plane and all the kids, we will have the rest of the money brought up to you. We'd like any men over 60 and any who are sick. And the Israelis off before you leave. Could you do that Zala.  
Will: Do you have to talk to the others? You have phones, Zala, could we do this over the phone instead of through the pilots' radio? I'll give you a number you can call anytime and I'll answer. Zala: Okay. give me the number.  



	22. CLIMB THE STAIRS TO THE PLANE

MacKenzie, Alex, Frank and Hassan climb the stairs to the plane. Alex has a briefcase. Two armed FBI agents stand at the bottom of the stairs. Two soldiers in fatigues stand with them.  
As they reach the top of the stairs the plane door, Zala opens the plane door.

Jay, Terry, Will , Gale and Sammy are back in the control tower. Bill motions to them.  
Bill: Got them. It's Frank.  
Frank over the radio: Hey Will. Can you hear me?  
Will: We're here buddy. Tell me. We told her the phones had to be blocked. That hackers have gotten in to the phones and that only the radio is safe. She accepted it.  
Frank: They counted the money. The pilots are okay. They are willing to fly to Cuba. Pay Alex his $1000. The sick kid doesn't look too good. Sweating, skin looks shallow. Yellowish. He needs off this plane now. Zala says you can bring an ambulance to the bottom of the stairs. I'm not sure he can make it down the stairs. Hassan says he'll carry him down if necessary. There is a fifth hijacker, still don't have a bead on him. He's in the far back. Seems to be trying to use his cell. Appears he isn't getting through to anyone. Zala says we can stay until the women are off. She won't agree to just the pilots but says she only wants 15 volunteers. McKenzie and Hassan said they'd go. Zala agreed to Hassan said no to McKenzie. She's disappointed. They want the rest of the money when the women are off. We'll get the volunteers sorted. We'll move them off and then we'll stay til the money is on board then McKenzie and I will leave.  
Terry: You tell them to take good care of my fiance'.  
FranK: Who is your fiance'  
Terry laughs: Mac.  
Frank: Slow down man. I think she might have her eye on Hassan. You and his lordship may be out of luck.  
Terry: Hassan? He works for me. I'll order him to stand down. And he's too young for her.  
Terry laughs.  
Jay: How's Samira?  
Frank: She's good man she's good. I talked to her. Hassan talked to her. She asked if you were doing okay. Nice girl, Jay. She said to tell you she's okay. A little tired. She won't get off til the two Israeli women and their kids are off but as soon as they get the kid down they can start deplaning.  
Jay: Tell her I said to get off that plane. Tell Hassan I said to get her off that plane.  
Frank: Will do man. 

Hassan comes down the stairs carrying a thin 10 year old boy. Fireman carry. The boy is limp. A blanket is draped over the boy. Hassan reaches the bottom of the stairs. An ambulance has pulled close to the stairs. Two men jump out of the ambulance, open the back doors pull out a gurney. Expand it, take the boy from Hassan. Place the boy on it take his pulse, cover him, collapse the legs and slide gurney back in the ambulance. Hassan walks quickly back toward the stairs, puts an arm around the woman who followed him down, walks her over to the ambulance. The paramedic hands her inside the back and get in back with her. They drive, away lights and siren on intermittently. Hassan nods to the two guys at the bottom of the stairs, goes back up to the top of the stairs. Leans in the door. Women and kids begin disembarking. Hassan stands there, speaks to them, gives a supporting hand. 

Frank on the radio again: Okay moms and kids coming out now. We've got a couple of unaccompanied minors and we paired them up with a temporary mom. We've got a mouthy 15 year old. May want to have somebody take charge of him. Maybe one of the soldiers or agents at the bottom of the stairs. Zala says they can all go now including the Israeli moms and kids. We are putting the two Israelis and their kids in the middle. We didn't want to leave them til last. Hassan will walk Samira down. She insists on going out last. If you want to meet her on the tarmac Jay, probably ought to come on down. Have Will call the guys at the bottom of the stairs to let them know it's okay for you to go out there. Zala seems comfortable with Hassan. They are talking in Pashto most of the time. The teen boys are still listening to Zala. They may not be teens but they are young. There is a man in the back. What I've seen he is trying to use his phone but the teens seem loyal to Zala not him. If he moved against Zala, I think the boys would shoot him. So he right now is standing and watching. I don't think he has a gun. Zala knows Hassan is Samira's brother. He told her. The woman sitting next to Smaira offered to stay with the plane to Cuba. You want to let her go Will?  
Will: No too much risk. Can you tell her I am ordering her off.  
Frank: Pretty sure I can find a way.

Jay leaves the control room. In his eagerness to see Samira, forgets his Robin Hood hat on the table. Sammy puts it on.  
Sammy: I'll get it to him. 

Jay walks out a side door walks across to the cordoned off area. Talks to the armed man and woman in fatigues standing at the flap door. They nod, the man pulls the canvas back and holds it for him allowing him passage to the area around the plane. Airport staff, British Airways personnel and white-coated medical people are talking to women and children on the tarmac. He walks across the tarmac to the bottom of the stairs. Speaks to the two FBI agents there. Hassan waves to him, gives him a thumbs up. Jay nods. Finally Samira is in the doorway. Jay starts up the stairs. Hassan shakes his head. Jay stops. Hassan follows her down. She reaches the last step.  
Jay: Hey Tapioca. Sure good to see you.  
Samira: Hey Cowboy.  
He picks her up as if he were carrying her across a threshold. Kisses her as he holds her up to him. She kisses him back then she punches him in the arm.  
Jay: Ouch. You are hitting me already.  
Samira: Put me down. I can walk.  
Jay: Swings her down, puts an arm around her. Hassan stands with them.  
Hassan: Zala , her name's Amal, says I can go - she'd rather have me than some passenger volunteer. Tell Will I'm going.  
Jay: Okay.  
Samira: Don't go. Please Hassan. Don't go.  
Hassan: It will go better if I go.  
Samira: What if they detain you in Cuba?  
Hassan: They won't. Gale will be with me. He can get us off the island if he has to, I'm pretty sure he still has some contacts there.  
Samira: Tell Zala thank you will you. I know she really cared about me and the baby.  
Hassan: Sure. Gotta go back we need to organize the volunteer thing.  
Three men come up, dressed in suits, two are carrying 2 briefcases ech. they go up the plane stairs.  
Hassan follows them up.  
An ambulance pulls up near Samira and Jay. A paramedic comes up. We were told we need to take you with us.  
Samira: Okay  
They walk Samira over. They take out a guney, Jay lifts her up. She sits.  
Jay Lie down.  
Samira: Ordering me? I just got off a hijacked plane.  
Jay: Yeah. Orders. Lie down.  
They put Samira in the ambulance, Jay gets in beside her. Takes out his phone.  
Jay: Terry, Samira is out. She's in an ambulance going to Zuckerberg's hospital. I'm going with her. She says she's fine but they want to check her and the baby. I'll call when she is settled in. They'll probably keep her overnight. I'll stay there with her. I can sleep in the waiting room.  
Terry: I don't think you need to worry about the press. Too much else going on. She has a different name than the kidnapped bride and there is so much still happening with this. I don't think the press is going to get around to her.  
Jay: Good. Yeah, that's good.  
Terry: A doctor Will knows is going to check on her. Name is Nishimini. Supposed to be excellent. He's on his way. Favor to Will.  
Jay: Thanks. Tell Will, Hassan was determined to see Cuba. Tell Sammy to come on down to the hospital. They'll run a bunch of tests then she'll be in a room. Tell Sammy to please call Amelia and let her know Samira is out of the plane and okay.  
Terry: I'll stay til tomorrow. You want to fly Samira back on the jet.  
Jay: Yeah. Don't want to fly commercial.  
Terry : Okay, Lets try for tomorrow afternoon. I'll tell the pilot. You Sammy me, Samira.  
Jay. Yeah, good, thanks. 

Jay is sitting in a chair next to Samira's bed. His feet are resting on the edge of Samira's bed. Big window looking out across rooftops. Door is open.  
Sammy knocks on the side of the door. He is carrying Jay's Robin Hood hat. Walks in.  
Sammy: Uh, you forgot the Robin Hood hat. Surprised Wendy recognized you without your hat.  
Sammy walks over and hugs her.  
Sammy pulls up a chair: Amelia sends her love.  
Sammy: Gale said to tell you that Allison said to say hello and if you want to stay, you and Jay, a few more days you are welcome back at her house.  
Samira: Turn on the TV.  
The TV comes on. They change to CNN. A plane is taxiing along the runway.  
Sammy: Any interest in The President’s tweets.  
Samira and Jay: NO.  
The plane increases speed and finally lifts off.  
Samira: Hassan is on that plane.  
Sammy: He wanted to do it. Wanted to see the cars in Cuba.  
Samira: Well I hope he gets a chance to see them, not much to see when you are just sitting in an airport.  
Sammy: Or a Cuban jail.  
Samira: I wish he wouldn't have done it.  
Jay: Gale wanted to go too. Says Cuba is beautiful. Unspoiled.  
Sammy: He's been there?  
Jay: Gale? A few times. Likes it. Likes the Caribbean and Havana.  
Jay's phone buzzes.  
Jay into phone: Sure. I'm sure she'd like to meet you. Yeah, sure. I don't think there is a visitor limit. If there is we'll just tell Will to arrest someone.  
Jay: Will, Terry and Lord Rakfield and the FBI girl they are competing over are going to stop by.  
Samira: I have nothing. Not even a lipstick. They wouldn't let us take anything off.  
Jay: Most beautiful girl in the world even with no lipstick.  
Jay sits staring at Samira. Finally gets out of the chair. Walks over to the bed  
Jay: Move over. Be careful with that iv thing in your arm. samira: They think I'm dehydrated.  
Samira slides over holding her iv insertion place carefully.  
Jay gets on the bed with her. Puts his arm around her. She leans against him. He kisses her hair.

Jay and Sammy are talking softly. Samira is asleep against Jay.  
Terry walks in.  
Terry: Wake up Samira. You have visitors.  
Samira opens her eyes.  
Samira: I haven't slept in 24 hours. Leave me alone.  
Terry: Some friends you need to meet. Will Abernathy FBI - you wouldn't be here if it weren't for the hard work of this guy, and he's the one who gave your brother permission to get on that plane. And this beautiful woman is my next finace' Mary Margeret Mackenzie And this is Lord Rakfield. Mckenzie's other suitor. He owns BA.  
Samira: Will thank you.  
McKenzie: How is the baby?  
Samira: Just fine they tell me.  
Alex: And you. How are you?  
Samira: How? I could sleep for a week. And it would be nice if I could sleep with Fun-boy here. If Terry would let him stay in town for a week or two.  
Terry: I 'll try.  
Will: I hear you might be thinking of moving here.  
Samira: Are we?  
Jay: Maybe.  
Samira: How is Jessica. Where is she? She wanted to go to Cuba? Did you let her?  
Will: No. We debriefed her and sent her on to London for the vacation she'd planned. She's fine. I have her hotel name for you. She'll get a new cell. Said she'd also leave the number at Global for you. She'd like to see you when you get back to London. If you'd like to see her, call her. She said she'd understand if you don't want to think about it anymore and don't call.  
Samira: Thank you. Of course I'd like to see her. Terry you should offer her a job. She is great. I may name the baby after her.  
Jay: I thought we were going to do this together.  
Samira: If the Cowboy here agrees.  
Alex: This gang of yours is pretty good.  
Samira: Yah they call themselves by different names the Lost Boys, the Merry Men, the Band.  
Alex: The lost boys? Does that make you Wendy?  
Samira: They call me Wendy sometimes.  
Alex: Terry and I are going to take Mackenzie here to dinner and fight over her.  
McKenzie: I've told them they have no chance with me now that I have met your brother.  
Samira: My brother?  
Mckenzie laughs: He is a pretty interesting guy.  
Terry: Samira, you want to fly back on the plane?  
Samira: I do. I can leave tomorrow. They'll let me out in the morning.  
Terry: We could fly back tomorrow afternoon.  
Alex: Shorter trip on one of my planes. We'll comp you.  
Samira: You'd better.  
Will: Did she tell you what they were doing?  
Samira: A little. She talked to me in Pashto. They were hired to test the system. Needed the money. They thought you'd stop them. They just were supposed to see where you'd stop them. They were given $2000 and were promised $8000 more when they were done. So $10,000 each - well for Amal and the three boys. They are maybe 19,20 I think. One is Amal's brother the other two were friends of his. They go to a mosque nearby - Fremont I think they said, and a man came to the mosque. Hung around then approached one of her brother's friends. They wanted a woman or even two. Seemed like easy money. Amal and the boys were told there was a lawyer ready to come immediately when they were arrested. They were told they might even get probation. They were to say it was a joke.  
Will: Were the guns real?  
Samira: They were but the boys didn't really have experience with the guns. First time her brother had ever held a gun. One shot a hole in the roof of the plane by accident.  
Will: Scared the shit out of us.  
Will: What about the man in the back.  
Samira: He was like a monitor or something. He was supposed to observe I think. The woman you call Zala, like I said her name is really Amal, didn't like him. The boys listened to Amal though. They didn't like him either. There may be explosives somewhere. He talked about blowing-up the plane. Since they had gotten all the way on without being stopped, he wanted to take the opportunity to blow-up the plane. I don't know if you can contact the plane but I think Amal would turn him over to you. Maybe Hassan could arrange it. The others were basically okay, they didn't want to hurt anyone. But the one you call the 5th man - he's a real terrorist I think. They should watch him. He'll maybe blow up the plane if he gets a chance. I wish Hassan wasn't on that plane. And Gale. I wish he weren’t on it either.  
Jay: Okay get out now. I want to lie in bed with my wife and they said I can stay. This is a great hospital. They are gonna let me stay. I can sleep in this bed with her or in that other one.  
Sammy: Wait til you see the bill.  
Jay: Lord Rakfield is going to pay the bill.  
Alex: Alex,call me Alex. And yes, I am going to pay the bill. 

F


	23. The Phone Call

Samira takes the lift to the top floor of Global.  
Walks into Terry's outer office.  
Andrea greets her.  
Andrea picks up her phone: Sir Thorne, Samira Shah is here.  
Terry: Tell her to come in.  
Andrea: Samira, someone called and left a phone number. Said you knew her and had given her GlobAmal as a place she cold leave a message. I wrote down her name and number. Wait a minute I think I took it into Sir Thorne’s office. Andrea looks around her desk. Andrea: She wanted to know if you and the baby were okay.  
Samira: Did she leave a name.  
Andrea: She did. Wait a minute. Let me find it. I always keep copies. Things have been a little chaotic around here. I told her you and the baby were fine. That I had seen you. And you were back home. I hope that was okay.  
Andrea looks around her desk. Andrea: She asked if I could ask you to call her.  
Samira: Was it Jessica?  
Andrea: No I think her name was Amal. She said she was also a friend of your brother.  
Samira: Okay. Thank you. 19

The end


End file.
